HOT, hot, hot - watch out pooches keep cool !

Its really important especially in Tenerife to make sure your pooch does not get overheated. Dogs Trust has compiled three essential tips for owners to help their dogs beat the heat:

* Walk your dog in the morning and evening when the weather is cooler and make sure shady spots and drinking water are available.
* Clip the fur of particularly hairy hounds (like me) and apply canine sun cream to areas most likely to burn: ears, nose, and belly. Human suncream can be toxic so buy a special pet version from your local pet shop.
* Be extra vigilant with older and overweight dogs as they are more prone to overheat. In a real emergency wet your dog thoroughly and use a household fan to blow cool air over their head and body. Seek urgent veterinary attention.


If your dog shows signs of distress – such as excessive panting, blueness of the tongue or collapse contact your local vet immediately.

So please watch out for us pooches in the heat..!

A Dog is For Life Not Just For Christmas

A Dog is For Life Not Just For Christmas

This Slogan was created by Clarissa Baldwin, Dog's Trust UK Chief Executive, in 1978 but is still as relevant today.

Every year thousands of children plead for puppies as christmas presents but unfortunately the novelty in many cases wears off pretty quickly as owning a dog requires a lot of effort which they are not prepared to give.

The Dogs Trust last year refused to rehouse dogs over the Christmas period to prevent unwanted pets being returned in the New Year, animals were viewed and reserved but not taken away
 

Whatever you do this year please remember that a A Dog is For Life Not Just For Christmas.
Check out the dogs trust website click here

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Jacqui from UK Dogs Trust talks about her first ICAWC conference

Well my first International Companion Animal Welfare Conference was an experience that I will never forget. Often going to conferences leaves you a little bit drained and can be a lonely experience as everyone goes to do there own thing after the seminars.

Every night there was something organised by Dogs Trust, be it a Night Boat trip with meal or a sightseeing trip to see the city, and if there wasn’t anything organised then the Dogs Trust staff would be on hand in the bar for more networking and socialising.

Don’t get me wrong, it was hard work and being on duty 20 hours a day can be draining but it didn’t feel like it at the time.

Many many delegates I spoke to also commented and congratulated us on the event. In many ways the speakers and the information they provide to those attending is only half the story. Much of the work takes place after hours, when like minded people get together over a bottle of wine and share experiences, offer real life advice and help to those who are in situations they once were.

The spirit of ICAWC is to improve animal welfare around the world, this year’s delegation of 280 delegates from 107 organisations and 38 countries left with a really positive ‘can do’ attitude and we hope in a small way we have started them on their way.

Next year we are in Vienna and I look forward or catching up with those I met to see how our conference and the contacts they made have made a difference.

ICAWC 2010 will be held in Vienna on 17-19 November 2010. For more information and to see this years presentations please visit www.icawc.org

Uk Dog Trust on BBC News

This makes me barking mad its not enough that dogs are forced to fight but once injured are also put down in horrific ways. Check this clip of Clarissa Baldwin Chief Executive of the UK Dog Trust talking on this subject..

Click to see video

Tenerife Dogs welcomes Jacqui from The UK Dogs Trust

Tenerife Dogs welcomes Jacqui from The UK Dogs Trust, over to Jacqui to explain what the Dogs Trust is about and her work there................

Hi there, I’m Jacqui and I am Digital Marketing Manager at Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity. I’ve been at the Trust for 11 years now and I am glad to be writing for Tenerife Dogs.

A little bit of history, Dogs Trust began in 1891 by Lady Gertrude Stockwell to ‘protect dogs from torture and ill-usage of every kind’

Over 100 years later we still have the same aim. We have a non-destruction policy and rehome 17,000 dogs a year. Though a UK based charity we pride ourselves on offering help to help those overseas with their stray dog populations.

We don’t do this with financial help but by offering help and advice to those who want to start rescues or work with the local authorities to try and change the way it deals with stray dogs.

Our international work started 12 years ago with the very first ICAWC conference (www.icawc.org – website built with my own fair hand!) and it is still going strong with over 300 delegates from as far afield as Australia come to listen and learn how they can change things for the better.

As a regular visitor to Tenerife for the last 20 years or so I have seen the stray cat population shrink. I presume (I don’t know) that this is due to a TNR (trap, neuter and release) program due to the snipped ears of many cats I see. TNR is a great way of controlling the population without taking the animals away from a habitat they understand and causing them unnecessary stress – this is more true in dogs than cats. Many tourists I’m sure think they are doing good by bringing these animals back to the UK, but they are not unhappy, they are more likely to be far more unhappy in a home that is unnatural for them. Then these dogs are left for the UK rescues to care for. But I digress..

Dogs Trust started out with a small programme in Oradea, Romania (www.sosdogs.ro). Which was a TNR scheme and a small rehoming centre. Five years later we have withdrawn and they are now totally self sufficient – a wonderful achievement I’m sure you’ll agree.

This year we set up a scheme in Malta www.dosgtrustmalta.com. Working alongside SPCA Malta, we will create and implement a range of extensive neutering and responsible pet ownership campaigns on the island to tackle the stray dog problem on many levels.

So as you can see even though were a UK charity we are more than happy to share our expertise and advice wherever it is needed – after all the dogs come first!