Meet Dogs Trust: Abbie Smith

Having recently joined the Dogs Trust Digital Team, I will be spending my days communicating with all of our great supporters out there - so I thought I would take a moment to introduce myself to you all...

Name: Abbie Smith

Location: Dogs Trust HQ, London

Job: Digital Marketing Officer

You what...? Yes that’s right – I’m the new Digital Marketing Officer! And I’m thrilled. I’ve been working here 7 years in June so I’m no stranger to the brilliance of all things Dogs Trust. However moving to the Digital Team is totally new to me, and just a couple of days in – I love it! So far I’ve been getting to grips with the website content, doing my usual scribbled notes that make little sense… before neatly transferring into my notebook to be highlighted / colour coded - oh yeahhh,  I’m one of ‘those’ people!

I’m surrounded by digital gurus... Literally - Jacqui to my left and Lo to my right. Therefore I’m confident I will be learning lots along the way, and  I’ll most probably ramble in future blogs too –  there’s something to look forward to.

Best thing about my job: The people! Having been here a fair few years I’ve seen  people come and go, but the majority are ‘long timers’ and (hopefully)  aren’t going anywhere anytime soon – you can’t blame them. I was 17 when I started here, my first real job in the ‘big wide world’… so in all honesty – my colleagues could be rubbish…but I have no comparison - so to me they are great! This goes for my new team too; the best thing about working in the Digital Team so far has been instantly feeling comfortable enough to ask questions and being shown the ropes by Jacqui and Lo! Of course, having Twitter and Facebook open on my screen 24/7 will be an added bonus!

Pets: I have a gorgeous little 9 month old Kitten called Kenny. He is mischievous and a little crazy! He’s often casually hanging over my shoulder while I’m walking around the house – I always fail to tell visitors about this trait so they are a little alarmed when he springs up and does his best impression of a parrot.

Favourite websites: I’m a self-confessed Twitter addict, scrolling through the tweets of the rich and semi/not-at-all famous makes my journey to the office in Angel from my home in Essex much more entertaining!

What I'm reading now: I am half way through a book called Before I Go to Sleep written by S J Watson. It's a good read, It takes a bit of brain power to keep up – which is ironic since it’s all about a lady who has lost her mind!

Weekend plans: I will most probably go for drinks after work on Friday with the girls and for a meal of some kind on Saturday with my boyfriend and our friends. I always make time to see my Nan for a cup of tea too!

Response to The Sun - "Nuke Brit stays in Japan to look after his dog"

Did you read this piece in The Sun about a Martin Dean, a Brighton man living in Japan with his family, who has refused to leave his dog due to quarantine restrictions? We read it and decided to contact the Sun to let them know that we had some information that would be useful to Mr Dean or others in a similar predicament. If you're interested, you can read our letter here:

Hello,

I’m writing from the charity Dogs Trust regarding your piece in today’s paper on the Brit in Japan who’s refusing to leave his dog due to quarantine restrictions [p 19].

I wanted to let you know about an animal rescue shelter called ARK that is based in Osaka, Japan, that is caring for dogs/cats/domestic pets caught up in the devastation. ARK is running a boarding programme for pets which allows owners to leave Japan safe in the knowledge that their pets are cared for.

The charity and is run by a British woman called Elizabeth Oliver. Today Elizabeth has issued the following guidelines which may be of interest to your readers:

• The charity will take in pets at either ARK Tokyo or in the Osaka shelter and will look after any animals left behind or at risk from people having to leave Japan, at no cost. Pets can board at ARK for three months. If after three months there has been no contact from the owner, those pets will then become the property of ARK and will be rehomed to a loving new family.


• Anyone wishing to leave their pets at ARK will need to visit the rescue shelter themselves details on http://www.arkbark.net/ or have the animals sent to the nearest airport which is Osaka Itami. Here, dedicated members of staff will meet them the animals and/or their owners - this is a huge task so they are short of transport staff but will do all they can.


• All animals will be checked by vet upon arrival and ARK asks pet owners to prepare details including vaccinations, health issues, or daily habits.


• ARK will board free of charge but would appreciate any donations.

Photo courtesy of the ARK website at http://www.arkbark.net/.

Dogs Trust News Roundup

Hello hello. It's been a little quiet in our social sphere of late as we've been working hard on the kind of behind-the-scenes stuff that is not very flashy or visible but none-the-less very necessary. Here's a quick run down of what's been going on that you might or might not know about.

Waggy Walks

You should have heard about this one! The digital team (minus Lo who sadly can't make it) is getting ready for the six-mile trek around Finsbury Park on Sunday and is fundraising furiously. Many thanks to those who have already chipped in. At work, we've been organising emails to thousands of people encouraging them to join the near-4,000 who have already signed up for the walk. You can still come along on the day if you haven't registered; just come along to the starting point of the walk between 9 and 10am to let us know you're walking. Check out the website to find the event nearest to you.

New Website

We've been mumbling about a new website for some time now, and it looks as though we'll be able to reveal all by the end of the year. But as the various pre-launch milestones come thick and fast we're furiously working away, making lists and - like Santa - checking them twice, to ensure that copy is accurate, links work and all the new features we're dying to show off work properly. Stick with us - we think you'll like what's coming!

ICAWC

The International Companion Animal Welfare Conference has just been and gone, bringing together 280 delegates from 38 countries and 107 animal welfare groups. Covering everything from veterinary issues to shelter management and fundraising, the expert speakers did a fantastic job in sharing information that is key to those trying to help animals around the world. Jacqui was there to do her bit by running a workshop all about digital marketing and website building on restricted budgets. The presentations are now available online for viewing and download; watch the website for details about the 2010 conference.

Q&A

Meanwhile, Jacqui, Lo and I might be quieter than normal at the moment, but we are definitely listening and responding to all your questions, be they in our supporter inbox, on Facebook, via Twitter, through Bebo, at the DoggySnaps forum or on any of our other online pages. Please keep questions and comments coming; we're always happy to help.

By the way, remember I told you that John Barrowman's fans made a generous donation in honour of his debut in La Cage aux Folles? Well we also just received a whopping £1451.90 from the eBay auction of two pairs of his tights from his last panto season (there was a website-related delay which meant it's only been confirmed now). It's official: we love the man and we love his fans!

Meet Dogs Trust: Laurier 'Lo' Nicas

It seems that it is time for my official introduction! I started work on September 1st as the new member of the digital team here and I won’t lie to you, I love it. One month in has reaffirmed what I already knew— great people, great job, great cause.

Name: Laurier Nicas (let’s face it, that’s a mouthful. Feel free to just call me Lo)

Location: Dogs Trust HQ, London

Job: Digital Marketing Assistant

You what...? I work with fellow digi-nerds, Jacqui Darlow and Alex Goldstein on all the web fun! My main duties at the moment include working on the new, highly anticipated site and using my crafty design background to jazz everything up a bit. I’m very excited to delve into more of the social networking soon.

Best thing about my job: Playing. I get to fiddle around in Photoshop, experiment on Twitter, and just jostle things up a bit. Coming in with a digital PR background and a communication/design education, I like to think I have a fresh outlook on the whole shebang! Plus working with Jacqui and Alex isn't half bad... ;)

Pets: I wish. Flatmates say no. Landlord says no. Some day soon, I hope (and as I am moving in with my boyfriend in January, this might happen sooner than he thinks).

Favourite websites: Not including the good old standbys, Google and BBC News, lately I have been reading many light-hearted and humorous blogs such as Awkward Family Photos, Not Always Right, and Scanwiches. These blogs keep things amusing and fun while I test my brain power with mental_floss and get emotional with PostSecret.

What I'm reading now: I am currently on page 425 of The Time Traveler’s Wife. I cannot put it down. Less than 100 pages to go and I’m dreading that feeling of loss that occurs when a good book ends.

Weekend plans: First, I'll Skype with my parents in the States— it is a weekly tradition! Then both the flatmates are away, so I think I will secretly tidy the entire flat. It’ll be a lovely surprise when they come back. This is not entirely selfless though, as there is nothing quite like blasting the radio in an empty house while you vacuum. I think I'll pull some Risky Business moves...

It was great to introduce myself to you— the first of many, I hope! Feel free to catch my daily ramblings on Twitter. I'm not nearly as amusing as I think I am, but you could humour me...

Meet Dogs Trust: Alexandra Goldstein

I was hoping to hide behind this blog a little longer, but as it turns out I'll soon by sticking my head above the parapet at the International Companion Animal Welfare Conference anyway! For that reason, I shall venture forth...

Name: Alexandra Goldstein

Location: Dogs Trust HQ, London

Job: Digital Marketing Officer

You what...? I work under the Head Geek, Jacqui Darlow, helping to promote Dogs Trust through web activities. I really get the social side of the web to play with, and have the advantage of interacting directly with a lot of supporters through this site (on which I write the entries), Facebook, Bebo, MySpace and, of course, DoggySnaps.

Best thing about my job: Being allowed to use Facebook at work! Also, my job's very flexible, so I've been known to work from home when I've got the lurgy, which is very helpful.

Pets: I am currently in a garden-free flat, but I do miss my late cats who lived out their long lives with my mum and dad.

Favourite websites: Thanks to my job and because I'm an avid blogger, I've become obsessed with pet blogs. Since many of them are US-based I've been getting really involved in the election discussion. Bark Obama, which brings together Pet Connection bloggers, Terrierman and more is brilliant - insightful, interesting and very animal-focussed.

What I'm reading now: I've just received a Sony Reader from my lovely fiance. I first used it to read and review an advance copy of Patricia Volonakis Davis' Harlot's Sauce, which I found very interesting because of my Greek background. Then I rattled through The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and got stuck into Henry James' creepy classic The Turn of the Screw, both of which are out of copyright so can be read online and on some devices for free through Project Gutenberg.

Weekend plans: I'm meeting up with my soon-to-be bridesmaids for lunch in preparation for December's big day, going to some London Design Festival events and hopefully getting to chill out and chat to my friend Kirsty, who's staying with me on a jaunt up from St. Leonard's.

Previous Meet Dogs Trust: Denise Gilgallon | Hollie Sevenoaks

Petition: Stop the cruel dog slaughtering methods in South Korea

The killing of dogs for food started in South Korea during a time of crisis and famine. Over time it has evolved into a cultural tradition, with dog meat becoming a prized delicacy.

As with any kind of farming, as consumers we hope that the animals are being treated with respect during their lives; the recent reports on battery farming by the likes of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall made many a consumer think twice about buying a battery farmed chicken over a free range option.

Dogs in South Korea, however, are being slaughtered using methods including burning, electrocution, hanging and drowning. These cruel and tortuous methods are commonplace, and you can show your support by signing a petition to urge the Government of the Republic of Korea to act now.

The Korean Animal Protection Society and Korea Animal Rights Advocates groups are working alongside others to improve the situation, and the petition also supports their aims.

Sign the petition here now.