We did have a blog post about Dogs Trust Salisbury ready to publish today but we just couldn't not mention the horrendous rioting that has been going on in London and now in cities across the UK over the last few nights.
Photo courtesy of the Daily Mirror
I have certainly never seen anything like it in my lifetime, and i don't think I can think of another time in UK history when the drive behind such mindless violence and looting is seemingly just pure greed and destruction. All of us here at Puppy Love are sickened by the behaviour of these vandals and thugs - the majority of which are in their teens! It is scary and sad to think that this is what a portion of the next generation is capable of. They have no respect for anyone or anything - including themselves. There has been criticism as always of the police force but really with such limited resources and such a large number of rioters we think they are limited in the way that they can react. It is truly flabergasting to watch the footage on the news of these looters and how easy it is for them to cause such havoc with no police or otherwise around to grab them. But our biggest praise always goes to, surprise surprise, the animals. We never fail to be moved by pictures of the police horses and dogs who do such an amazing job and are so brave and calm in the face of craziness. Tonight on Sky news it was reported that 5 police dogs have been injured in the rioting so far and we are sending them lots of love in the #pawcircle to get well soon. They are so loyal and do their jobs so well... all for the reward of a tennis ball bless them! We also send out love to all those animals affected by the violence and of course their humans. Stay safe everyone and join the stand against the rioting by joining the Facebook group to clean-up here or by using the twitter hashtag #riotcleanup and visit the site www.riotcleanup.co.uk x x
Wooo... the Easter holiday weekend starts tomorrow and is the beginning of couple of lovely 4 day working weeks here in the UK. With the Royal Wedding on the 29th and then May Day Bank Holiday too, we will all be spending some time enjoying the great outdoors and Britain is set for some scorching weather! Lovely for us 2 legged sun-worshippers but not always so lovely for our furry friends! Temperatures in cars can rocket in this kind of weather, up to 47 degrees in just an hour when it is 22 degrees outside! Brain damage in dogs starts at 41 degrees. Also, don't forget that suncream is not just for humans... any delicate areas and 'pink bits' will need an application. Check out these fab top ten tips for keeping your pets safe in the sun from the RSPCA:
1. Your dog should always be able to move into a cooler, ventilated environment if he/she is feeling hot.
2.Never leave your dog alone in a car. If you want to take your dog with you on a car journey, make sure that your destination is dog friendly – you won’t be able to leave your dog in the car and you don’t want your day out to be ruined. If leaving your dog at home is the best option because of the weather, always ensure that his/her needs are properly catered for.
3. If you have to leave your dog outside, you must provide a cool, shady spot where he/she can escape from the sun at all times of the day.
4. Make sure your dog always has a good supply of drinking water, in a weighted bowl that can’t be knocked over. Carry water with you on hot days and give your dog frequent, small amounts.
5. Never leave your dog in a glass conservatory or a caravan. Even if it is cloudy when you leave, the sun may come out later in the day and could become unbearably hot.
6. Groom your dog regularly to get rid of excessive hair. Give long-coated breeds a hair-cut at the start of the summer, and later in the season if necessary.
7. Dogs need exercise, even when it is hot, but walk your dog early in the morning or later in the evening. Never allow your dog to exercise excessively in hot weather.
8. Dogs can get sunburned too – particularly those with light-coloured noses or light coloured fur on their ears. Ask your vet for advice on pet-safe sunscreens.
Great tips! Make sure you share them with your friends! Also be aware of the signs of Heatstroke and what to do should you think your pet is suffering from it. The most obvious sign of heat stroke in dogs is excessive panting and profuse salivation. Other signs include:
Overly red or purple gums
A rapid pulse
Lack of co-ordination, reluctance or inability to rise after collapsing, seizures, vomiting or diarrhoea
Pets should be moved to a cooler spot straight away before ringing your vet for advice immediately.
Douse your dog with cool (not cold) water. You could put your dog in a shower and run cool water over him/her, spray your dog with cool water and place him/her in the breeze of a fan. Never cool your dog so much that he/she begins to shiver
Let your dog drink small amounts of cool water
Continue to douse your dog with cool water until his/her breathing starts to settle and then take him/her straight to the vets
To read theRSPCA's full article in PDF form click here.
We hope everyone has a a totally p-awesome time over the weekend and enjoys the sunshine! Stay safe! x x
Today is Paws for Japan Day! Paws for Japan is uniting all animal-lovers across the world in a bid to raise as much moneyas we can for all the animals affected by the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan last week. There are lots of fun things happening all across the internet today - including a special edition of the monthly #pawpawtyon twitter, hosted as always by the woof-a-licious Dougal from Dougal's Den, a blog hop which you can join or check out here after the jump, and tons of promotions and giveaways...all with one aim in mind - helping animals like these:
This beautiful dog would not leave his injured pal behind and it is a perfect demonstration of the loyaldevoted nature of animals. Major *leaky eyes here*. Amazing news though...both dogs were rescued and are now recovering in a shelter. Animals like these need rescuing by professionals who can sooth and treat them - please please donate using the ChipIn widget below...
All funds raised by Paws for Japan will go to World Vets who are currently deployed in Japan rescuing and treating animals affected by the disaster. Sooo... for a chance to win a p-awesome custom made Puppy Love bandana for your pet AND help out this great organisation and homeless, ownerless, voiceless and injured animals... have a go at our special Paws for Japan Prize Draw!!
There are 3 designs to choose from and to enter is sooo simple....
1) Fill out your details below or email your details to: puppy_love_petwear@hotmail.co.uk 2) Donate as much or as little as you can,using the secure donation site, ChipIn ... preferably in pennies...but if you can't just send your prayers for all our furry (and not-so-furry) friends
Woof-a-licious!! The winner will be notified by email after Buzzy picks a winner out of his bowl on Sunday! See more of the fab Paws for Japan events, including the Blog Hop, going on after the jump>>
Over our last few posts, we have been full of excitement for Crufts and our new online store... but away from that, since Friday we have been following the situation in Japan very closely and our heart has been breaking. Words can not express the devastation there and we send SO much love to all the people and animals affected by the disaster. We want to highlight the animals of Japan in this post as they are the ones who have no voice to tell us they are hurting and are often overlooked. Here are some ways we can all help our Japanese fuuriends and of course their owners too.
ARK - Animal Rescue Kansai- this local animal shelter is preparing for a massive influx of animals following the quake and tsunami and already have some facilities in place and a team of experienced staff able to deal with traumatised animals. You can donate through paypal on their site.
International Fund for Animal Welfare - they will be deploying a team to assess needs regarding animal rescue. They are encouragingsupport through donations, which will be used to buy pet food, veterinary supplies, vaccines and other necessities for animals needing help.
World Vets - a non-government organization (NGO) that provides veterinary aid around the globe in collaboration with animal advocacy groups, foreign governments, US and foreign military groups and veterinary professionals abroad. They are getting supplies and a first responder team ready to deploy to Japan.
World Vets is the charity of choice for the Paws for Japan #Pawpawty on Twitter this coming week... on March 17th, instead of celbrating St. Patrick's Day and the 2nd year anniversary of the #PawPawty, there will be a day long event in conjunction with the Paws For Japan Day. If you'd like to get involved with Paws for Japan, here's how to pawticipate:
3. We will create a blog hop using Linky Tools. Please add your blog link.
4. If you are a retailer and would like to donate a portion of your profits that day to World Vets relief effort, let me know and I will share that on Thursday. As always, giveaways are also a great way to support the cause.
We are so sorry it has been sooo long since we last blogged... we have been a little low again over the last few weeks and found it a little hard to keep up with everything so our poor blog has taken the brunt... After-all, we have to keep up with our orders...doggies (and kitties!) of the world need their bandanas!! But it has meant that our blog has been somewhat neglected! Don't normally like to talk about our ongoing battle with depression (which we refuse to give a capital D! lols) and anxiety as it gives power to it... but thought this was the perfect time to highlight one of our favourite charities.. Time To Change.
It really is a great charity, and making such great steps towards ending mental health discrimination & prejudice. There are so many long-standing myths and stigmas associated with mental health ... usually simply because people don't understand it. There is such a big umbrella it encompasses and unlike most physical ailments, you can't always see it & the hurt caused as a result. By visiting the website TimetoChange.org.uk you can get involved in all sorts of ways, one of the simplest ways is to pledge your support .. and all for nowt. No $$! 1 in 5 of us will experience depression at some point in our lives (cheerful stuff huh?! lols ;) ) and the more help and understanding out there for depression and other mental health conditions, the better!! :) You can also follow them on twitter@TimetoChange for updates on events in your area. M x x
This weekend has been the special Pedigree Adoption Drive Blog Hop. For every blog post made Pedigree will donate a 20lb bag of dog food to an animal shelter!! What a brilliant idea! Animal shelters are always under a great deal of financial pressure no matter how big or small & donations like these will make a big difference :)
Each year, more than 4 million dogs end up in shelters and breed rescue organizations. Pedigree created The PEDIGREE Adoption Drive to help shine a spotlight on the plight of these homeless dogs.
This year the PEDIGREE Adoption Drive is raising awareness for homeless dogs by donating a bowl of food to shelter dogs for everyone who becomes a "Fan" or "Likes" the PEDIGREE Adoption Driveon Facebook. So far more than 1 million bowls have been donated.
Special for BlogPaws West: For each blog that posts about the PEDIGREE Adoption Drive through September 19, PEDIGREE will donate a bag of its new Healthy Longevity Food for Dogs to shelters nationwide. It's simple: Write a post, help a dog.
Thursday, September 16 through Sunday, September 19, the Pedigree BlogPaws bloggers will host a Blog Hop to help raise awareness for the "Write a post, help a dog" effort.
Be sure to pass the message on by blogging, tweeting & facebooking with the hashtag #dogsrule :) Join up to the blog hop too after the jump... xx
Buy on Ebay.co.ukhere and 10% of the sale goes to RSPCA Northamptonshire who do some really fantastic work. For more information or to donate visit:http://www.rspca-northamptonshire.org.uk/ xx
