Barking Berry's Bakery is 9 year old supporter's brilliant idea to help dogs

We thought we'd take a break from telling you Dogs Trust news to hand over to one of our most determined supporters, 9-year-old Scarlett Berry, whose Christmas appeal from her fundraising bakery supports Dogs Trust Merseyside. We recommend watching the great video on her Facebook page!

Hello my name is Scarlett Berry and I am 9 years old. In the last 12 months I have raised over £2500 for north west animal charities by making and selling dog and cat treats.

I have wanted to be a vet since I was 4 years old. I know I have to try very hard at school to be a vet but I asked our vet, Mr Nolan, what else I could do. He told me that I needed to get involved.

I had a cookery book for dog biscuits that mum had bought me so I suggested making treats and selling them at local rescues. I decided to call my business Barking Berry's Bakery (BBB).

At our first event, I made £100 for a local sanctuary and now I regularly make around £150 per day. The most money I have raised in one day was at Dogs Trust Merseyside open day in July. I sold out of biscuits in two hours and raised over £170.

To make sure the animals in my chosen charities have a treat on Christmas Day, I have set up a Christmas appeal. People make donations to Barking Berrys for their chosen charity and then I give the donation and the amount of treats their donation would buy to their chosen charity. I am going to deliver the treats and the money in my Santa suit the week before Christmas.

So, as well as buying your own pets a treat this Christmas, please remember those in rescues and visit the Barking Berry's Bakery facebook page to make a donation.

We wish Scarlett all the best with her brilliant Christmas appeal, and warmly thank her for all her support and dedication to animal welfare. We know you'll make a brilliant vet one day, Scarlett!

Ho No No! Again!

Ho No No – Please support our Christmas campaign!

We told you about Ho No No earlier this week but wanted to give you an update and ask you again to please help us. We also wanted to give you a bit more background. This year the campaign has had many strands, all with the ultimate aim of stopping puppies being bought as Christmas presents. Our two pronged approach targets both sellers and buyers.

To target the sellers we are trying to encourage pet shops not to sell puppies at this time of year, just as we stop rehoming during the festive period. The biggest of these ‘shops’ is the world famous store Harrods. Part of the Ho No No campaign is to send thousands of cards to Harrods to persuade them to stop selling puppies this Christmas, if we can convince them to stop then persuading other pet shops to do the same should be easy.

But we can’t do any of this without your help! Send a card to Harrods FREE by going to http://greetingcards.dogstrust.org.uk/ . There is a registration form to fill in but we can assure you its very quick, you won’t get loads of spam from us and it will mean the world to us and to the puppies that will have a better home as a result.

Every year we remind people that ‘a dog is for life, not just for Christmas’ and provide reasons why getting a dog at Christmas is not a good idea. Despite this, a third of all children put a puppy on their Christmas wish list and more than one in six parents say they would buy a dog as a Christmas gift if their child asked for one!*

Our Ho No No campaign targets buyers by reminding them that buying a dog online is not a great idea. Although there are many reputable sellers, we really want people to be aware of the dangers of buying an animal online and to understand why Christmas is not a great time to introduce a puppy into your home.

Dogs Trust friend Dermot O’Leary recorded these words of warning for us, isn’t he lovely!



Find our more about what Dogs Trust is doing this Christmas please visit our site http://www.adogisforlife.com/

*Dogs Trust survey carried out by One Poll in October 2011. 1,000 respondents of parents with children aged 3 to 16 years

Hope Project Christmas Hampers

Dogs Trust made Christmas 2010 a more festive and cosy time for homeless dogs across the UK by providing them with canine Christmas hampers of collars, leads, coats, treats and toys.

We set up the unique Hope Project in 1994 and offer free and subsidised veterinary treatment to dogs whose owners are homeless or living in temporary accommodation.

Clare Kivlehan, Hope Project Manager, explains:

“The bond between any dog and owner is a strong one but for homeless people their dog is often their only friend and comfort. Alongside offering subsidised veterinary treatments and doggy Christmas hampers the Hope Project also encourages homelessness hostels and day centres to accept clients with dogs and helps them put in place practical guidelines. We’ve found that if a hostel does not accept dogs, then the owner will stay on the streets in order to keep their companion."

A record number of 600 dogs belonging to owners in housing crisis received special hampers this Christmas, almost double the 2009 total of 350 dogs. We supplied doggie coats for all of the dogs that stayed in the shelter over Christmas and although the weather may have tried to ‘hamper’ our efforts, deliveries did arrive in time for the festive period.

It’s always great to hear our work is appreciated and the Hope inbox has started to fill up with thank you emails from the various projects we support:

“I would just like to say thank you so much from the staff and residents at John Baker House and Denis House for the Christmas parcels which we received for the residents who own dogs. It makes all the difference! We all feel the Dogs Trust is a fantastic organisation and we all wish you a very happy Christmas, and a happy new year. Thanks again for all your work.”

We also had a big bonus this week – a £500 donation from a company in Cambridge who saw a newspaper article about our work. Thank you all for your wonderful support!

For more information about the project, please check out the video above. Homelessness organisations or veterinary surgeries interested in finding out more information about the scheme should call Dogs Trust on 020 7837 0006 or email hopeproject@dogstrust.org.uk

A very Merry and dog friendly Christmas menu!

Today, we've launched a new veterinary approved Doggy Christmas Menu in a bid to raise awareness of the dangers some traditional Christmas treats can pose to man’s best friend.

Christmas is always a time of indulgence as we tuck into our mince pies and much favoured Christmas puddings! Sadly, many people also unwittingly over-indulge their dogs with festive treats and human foods (or the pooches are very sneaky and help themselves). Unfortunately, in some cases, this can prove fatal.

Dog poisoning is a serious problem and every Christmas a worrying number of dogs become seriously ill after eating human foods such as chocolate and raisins. Feeding your dog human foods can have dire consequences such as vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy and in some cases chronic breathing difficulties. Other dangerous foods for dogs include dates, grapes, mince pies, Christmas puddings, whole brazil nuts, excessive amounts of cheese, alcohol, onion, raw potato (green), turkey bones and high content cocoa chocolate.

Dogs Trust Veterinary Director, Chris Laurence, suggests:

“As a vet I have seen some terrible examples of dog poisoning over the Christmas period. In many cases the owner was totally unaware of the hidden dangers and was simply intending to be kind to their dog who was eager to share in the festive treats. Like with humans, all foods should be given in moderation. Other festive items to avoid giving your dog include Hollie berries, Mistletoe, xylitol based sweetner and alcohol such as mulled wine.”

However, help is at hand. Dogs Trust has devised a delicious, healthy and safe three-course Doggy Christmas Menu specially designed with dogs in mind. Veterinary approved dishes include Mutt Nog, Cranberry and Turkey Goble Gobble, Pooches Glazed Vegetables and Doggy Mince Pies.

TV actor and presenter, Jeremy Edwards’ much loved dog, Molly, was the first to take part in a canine taste test. Jeremy explains:

“Molly has certainly given her paw of approval to this risk-free Christmas treat. Despite being a fussy eater, she particularly adores the doggy mince pies - she devoured them in 30 seconds flat!”

Anyone wanting to give their canine a special treat this Christmas can download the complete doggy menu amd recipes (opens new browser window).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/balakov/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Bebo Competition: Drawing pencils out to win a Canine Gang collection!

Our Bebo whiteboard has recently been filling up with fabulous pictures drawn by some of our younger supporters. We were delighted at this and thought we'd encourage them to deck the Dogs Trust virtual halls some more, by running a drawing competition!

Theme:

The theme celebrates our 30th Anniversary of our slogan: A dog is for life, not just for Christmas.

Prize:

The best picture, as chosen by a Dogs Trust judge, will be sent a full collection of fluffy Canine Gang toys. Assuming Royal Mail has got its posting dates right, they should arrive in time for Christmas, too!

Closing date:

In order to aim to get the prize out to the winner by Christmas, the closing date is 12pm on Friday 19th December.

All you need to do is head over to our Bebo page and get scribbling! Don't forget the theme, and remember the judge's decision is final.

Good luck!

Dollymix's Laura Kidd reminds us that a dog is for life!

Here's a little (not so) secret: I used to write for witty feminist site Dollymix. I've kept an eye on it ever since but somehow guest editor Laura Kidd's recent pet post passed me by until today. It's so very relevant to our thirtieth anniversary message that I had to blog about it.

Reminding us that all pets, including cats, need careful thought before the commitment of ownership, Laura answers the four crucial questions that people always ask her and that all potential pet owners need to ask themselves before taking themselves down to a rehoming centre or breeder.

1. How much time does it take to look after him?

2. How expensive is it to feed and care for him?

3. What do you do with him when you go away?

4. What are the best things about having a dog?

You can head over to the post to read the answers, but I really think this cuts to the heart of any rehoming decision. We will keep our doors open at our centres until just before Christmas for visitors to come in, meet the dogs and perhaps even be matched up to their favourite, but from around the 20th of December no dogs will go into homes until New Year. This is because of the general upheaval Christmas usually means in any given household.

If you are thinking of adopting a dog right now, then I wish you the best of luck in finding the perfect companion for your household!

Dogs Trust Darlington puppy chaos: babes of all breeds needing homes

Dogs Trust Darlington has had quite an influx of younguns recently, including 35 taken in during the last weeks of November. They're now very keen to find homes for a whopping eight litters of playful pups.

There are Labrador Crosses, Lurchers, Collie Crosses and Staffordshire Bull Terriers all available at the centre, so if you are thinking of getting a puppy then this might be the centre to start your search at!

Staff have had to be creative about naming their new charges, so have given each litter a theme, including:

• Contestants on I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here
• Hat types (e.g. Fedora and Beret!)
• Reindeers (e.g. Blitzen and Prancer)
• Characters from The Lion King
• Celebrity offspring (e.g. Cruz and Knox)

At the centre, Supporter Relations Officer Katie Purvis comments:

“Every year we take in puppies that have been bought as Christmas presents and abandoned once the novelty wears off.

Dogs need a lot of time, love and devotion and anyone considering getting a dog should think very seriously before adding a dog to the family. Remember that a dog is for life, not just for Christmas!”

If you are interested in rehoming one of the pups please call the centre on 01325 333 114.

The centre will not rehome from 21st December to 2nd January 2008, but visitors and dog walkers are still welcome and dogs can still be booked during this time.

30 Years of A Dog is for Life, not just for Christmas (that was us, not the RSPCA, Nigella!)

Last night, I caught my mum fiddling with my Christmas presents, so I ended up getting them early! I'm a big fan of baking, so Nigella Lawson's new Christmas book was right up my street (and now I have no excuse not to make chocolate pudding this year). Nigella's books tend to be as relaxing to flick through as to cook from, so I cast an eye over the text. There, in black and white, she reminded us that family "as the old RSPCA ad reminded us" was for life, not just for Christmas.

Sorry, Ms. Lawson, that wasn't that RSPCA, it was Dogs Trust! In fact, it was our Chief Executive, Clarissa Baldwin, who came up with that slogan thirty years ago this year, when she was working in the press office at the then-National Canine Defence League.

On her own blog, Clarissa comments today:

I am delighted that the slogan’s message has been heeded as the number of dogs bought as gifts has reduced from 20% in 1978 to just 1.8% this year. However I’m not ready to retire the slogan just yet. 1.8% doesn’t sound much as a percentage but this could be as many as 131,400 dogs which is still far too many.

Clarissa also highlights many examples of the way the slogan has grown and been appropriated by various people and companies over the years (naming no names, *cough* David Cameron *cough*). There's even a pretty seasonal vegetable one...!

It's great that the words have sunk in - now it's just important to hammer home the message. Owning a dog is a wonderfully rewarding experience, and it's impossible to achieve that level of fun, love, affection and companionship without putting some effort in! Dogs need a commitment of time, money and energy and today's cute puppy needs to be shown the way and offered training and support to become tomorrow's well-behaved canine citizen.

Enjoy Christmas and, if you're thinking of getting a dog, wait until the fuss has died down and come and visit one of our centres in the New Year. I bet we'll have the dog for you.