Pleasing 4 Pets

At his Off-Leash dog training school in Miami USA, Omar Muller has been training dogs to do much more than the typical, sit, stay and fetch routines taught at standard doggy discipline academies.

Omar has been training two of his star pupils to skateboard! Six year old Jack Russell, Auggie and his playmate Popeye, a year old American Bull Bulldog to kneel while skateboarding and flip their boards.

Auggie is so advanced at skateboarding that he is even able to judge when and how he should distribute his weight over the board to obtain maximum speed and balance.

Other pupils at the academy enjoy riding bicycles and scooters and perhaps the most extraordinary of all - riding a jet-ski.

The Hollywood canine coach trains his dogs on Miami’s world famous Venice Beach and claims that just about any dog has the ability to learn extreme sporting techniques with the right amount of training and time.

Omar also strongly believes in rewarding his pupils for learning new skills and shows them high levels of respect at all times.

He said :-

“You have to set a goal, but know it’s going to take at least a year.

Dogs also need a lot of treats and love while they’re learning so they’re having fun.

You don’t want the dog to get discouraged. He has to enjoy it so in the end he’s happy and wagging his tail while doing the tricks

“.

Animal lovers buying pets over the festive period this year have been alerted to an international pet scam which incorporates the advertising of cute looking pets available for purchase, which often do not even exist.

Trading standards officials have confirmed the discovery of a number of classified ads, found in free local newspapers and online were aimed primarily at conning consumers into parting with large sums of cash.

Officials also revealed that the ads offered a variety of pedigree puppies and other exotic animals at discount prices. Some even claimed to offer the non-existent pets up for free adoption.

Cash is then requested for veterinary, quarantine and delivery costs.

The trading standards manager at North Lanarkshire Council, David Roderick who is also head of the ‘Scambusters’ team who work alongside Dundee City Council, said:-

“Often these pets do not even exist.

Consumers should look out for telephone numbers beginning with ‘070′. These are known as personal numbers, but your call could be redirected anywhere in the world and cost up to 50p a minute from a landline, or considerably more from a mobile phone.

Not all 070 numbers are connected to this scam, some are legitimate sales avenues.

The other things to look out for are a ring tone that differs from the standard UK double ring; and an echo on the line. Both are indicators that the call is connecting outside the UK.

If the seller asks for a money transfer to cover delivery, quarantine or veterinary costs, buyers should be very wary.”

The RSPCA embarked on a considerable rescue operation at kennels in Brigstock recently after being contacted by a concerned dog owner whose pet was staying at the facility which had been abandoned.

As a result of the operation RSPCA officers were able to rescue in excess of 100 dogs, 98 of which were the St Bernard breed, from the Wardana Kennels and Cattery in Nottinghamshire.

One of the dogs found at the kennels was so sick that it had to be out down, and another unfortunately died as RSPCA vets fought to save its life.

Many of the animals at the kennels were housed in locked cages and it is thought that they hadn’t received food or water for a considerable time.

The kennels were being managed by Mary-Ellen Collis, a past Crufts winner, but the RSPCA have not been able to contact her and her whereabouts remain unknown.

The alarm was sounded by a Kettering man who had been attempting to contact the facility to arrange to visit his pet dog, Benson. David Nolan went to the kennels after he was unable to contact the owner by telephone. On his arrival Mr Nolan immediately contacted the local police authorities who in turn contacted the RSPCA.

He explained :-

“I was just concerned for my animal and eventually I had had enough.

It was horrific. I saw my dog, a Staffordshire bull terrier, and he looked like a Jack Russell because he was so thin.

I walked straight past him and only recognised him by the sounds he made.”

Attempts made by the RSPCA and the police to contact Ms Collis remain unsuccessful.

Care homes deny residents the right to own a pet

A report has revealed that 61% of UK care homes for the elderly are continuing to refuse residents the right to keep animals, in spite of much publicised evidence that caring for domestic animals is beneficial to health.

And the numbers of sheltered housing and residential care homes banning pets is increasing.

An expert psychologist who has dedicated many years to studying the effects of the relationships between owners and their pets, and has recently analysed more than 200 residential homes for the study said:-

“We have gone backwards. Separating elderly people from their pets when they go into a home can be deeply traumatic. Often the pet is the last tangible link with a partner who has died.

They can be the difference between coping and crumbling. They are vital to elderly people’s quality of life.”

The ban on pets in UK residential units is in stark contrast to other counties including, France, Norway, Switzerland and USA where the laws stipulate that residential care providers must agree to house the pets of their elderly residents.

As UK Citizens continue to live longer than ever before, more and more of them live alone and are more likely to require housing in a residential unit at some point in their lives, and to date more than 25% of retired UK citizens are believed to own a domestic pet.

Woman forbidden by courts to keep pets

Sylvia Bailey aged 67 if Stevenage was found guilty by Stevenage Magistrates Court of failing to care adequately for her 22 cats whilst bringing about unnecessary suffering to 17 of them.

Bailey was prosecuted after the RSPCA found and rescued the cats from her home in Sefton Road, Stevenage. She was ordered by the court to pay out £500 towards the cost of the hearing.

In court she denied the accusations, claiming that she had kept the cats in a hygienic environment but admitted that she had been unable to meet the expense of veterinary treatment.

In December 2007, RSPCA officials visited the house in Sefton Road after locals contacted them to express concerns that the cats were being kept in unsanitary and inadequate conditions.

The RSPCA informed her that a number of her cats were suffering from dental and skin complaints which required immediate veterinary treatment.

Some eight weeks later when the officers returned, none of the cats were found to have received veterinary care and so all 22 cats were removed from Baileys’ care.

The RSPCA vet who examined the cats confirmed that 13 of them had severe dental disease, and a number of others had huge numbers of ear mites, untreated skin conditions and in growing claws.

The examining vet found that 13 cats were suffering from untreated dental disease, while others were identified as suffering from ear mite infestations, in-growing claws and skin problems.

An RSPCA official said:-

“These cats were kept in an entirely unsuitable environment and were denied veterinary treatment.

“All the cats are now healthy and thankfully will eventually go to new, caring homes.”

UK Veterinary Charity, The Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) issued a stark reminder to pet owners recently, warning them of the dangers of hypothermia and frostbite in pets during the winter months.

Despite often having thick coats of fur, the PDSA confirmed that any animal has the potential to develop frostbite after ongoing contact with any cold surface, although Hypothermia is more likely to be seen in small, aged or sick animals, particularly in breeds with thinner coats or naturally low body fat.

The PDSA advises owners of small furries, such as Guinea pigs and Rabbits to house them indoors during sever winter weather. Puppies and kittens experience particular difficulties controlling the temperature of their bodies and the PDSA recommends that they are kept indoors during spells of cold weather.

The charity also advises pet owners to dress smaller dogs particularly those with thinner fur, appropriately, and to remember to clean and dry body and paws thoroughly when they have been outside in cold or wet weather.

One senior veterinary surgeon, Sean Wensley revealed that shivering in an animal is the primary sign that an animal is cold, but that shivering stops when an animals body temperature becomes critically lowered after which animals appear subdued with cold paws and ears. He said:-

“Frostbite, which develops through prolonged contact with cold surfaces, can affect a pet’s ears, paws, tail, scrotum and mammary glands. Affected skin will at first appear white and will be itchy and painful.

In severe cases, the skin will turn black. Owners should check their pet over regularly as a pet’s fur can hide frostbite damage. The first thing you should do if you suspect your pet is suffering from hypothermia or frostbite is to make sure they are dry.

Then, gradually raise their body temperature by placing them next to a well-covered hot water bottle or use a hair dryer, on a low heat. It is very important to call or visit your vet for advice.

Don’t ignore the signs of possible hypothermia and don’t take any chances.

It’s easy for us to wrap up warm and add on layers to keep us snug, but it’s not that simple for our pets, That’s why, at PDSA, we are keen to give owners some important seasonal advice to help keep their pets safe and healthy as the cold winter weather sets in.”

Popular pet retailer Pets at Home, the country’s largest retailer in pet care has confirmed its intention to go ahead with its planned investment programme, despite the fact that the UK economy is officially in recession.

The record investment plan comes as UK consumers maintain spending on treats and luxury items for their pets in Pets at Homes 220 outlets, even though they continue to cut back on similar items for themselves.

Matt Davies, Chief Executive of Cheshire based Pets at Home, confirmed that there were no plans to slow down the £21million expansion programme of its stores, which include refurbishments at existing store, plans for a Pets at Home Superstore in Stockport, 10 additional new branches before the end of 2008 and the opening of a further 20 outlets in 2009.

Revenue for the stores is predicted to reach almost £400million by the close of the year ending March 2009, an increase of £354.6million on the previous year’s figures.

Mr Davies commented:-

“We are not slowing down our expansion programme.

We believe pets to be a particularly resilient sector. People look on their pet as a member of their household and they are right up there as a priority. People recognise the joy that flows from having a pet as part of the family.”

The Northumbrian forces police dogs may be under the threat as a financial and structural appraisal of the canine unit in Northumbria gets underway.

The force has revealed that its squad of police dogs is currently under scrutiny but also confirmed that at present no decision has been made regarding cutbacks.

Throughout Northumberland and Tyne and Wear, expertly trained dogs, usually German shepherds or spaniels, take part in police operations including terrorism prevention, searches for firearms and explosives, drugs busts and searches for missing persons.

The Northumbrian police dog squad consists of around 50 general purpose and specialist animals. The canine crime fighters are managed by a team of 55 dog handlers – consisting of 6 police sergeants and 49 constables.

In November, Police Review magazine revealed that Greater Manchester Police had already cut its dog squad by 50% from 120, down to just 60 police dogs.

The same report declared that Northumbria Police was expected to slash its numbers by around 30%, but the Northumbrian police force is adamant that at present no such decision has been made.

A spokes person for Northumbria Police said in a statement:-

“Police dogs play a valuable role in assisting our officers in tackling crime and disorder.

The dogs are trained by the force and work alongside fully- trained dog handlers in each of our six area commands.

We are always seeking ways to improve all aspects of policing and a review is currently ongoing to look at the way in which we work with police dogs across the force.

No decisions have been taken and the review is continuing.

We have got a strong neighbourhood policing ethos and need to make sure we have sufficient specialist resources to support that.”

An animal sanctuary in Bath is hoping to reopen shortly after it was closed down by an outbreak of the canine disease Parvovirus.

The potentially fatal illness infected several dogs at Bath cats and Dogs Home, and sadly of the animals treated for the infection at the home, two puppies have died of the virus.

Parvovirus first become apparent during the 1970s, when an epidemic killed many thousands of dogs before a successful vaccine against the disease was discovered.

These days, although the disease is not present on the scale of the epidemic in the seventies, it is still fairly widespread amongst dogs who have not been vaccinated against it, and vets around the UK frequently report occurrences of Parvovirus.

The disease is highly contagious and can be passed from dog to dog via both direct and indirect contact with the faeces of an infected canine, so protection via vaccination is crucial.

Symptoms of parvovirus include, depression, rejection of food and water, vomiting, abdominal pain and severe diarrhoea. These combined effects often lead very quickly to acute dehydration, which can ultimately result in the death of the infected animal.

The Manager of the Bath Cats and Dog Home said:-

“I think we’ve got to have seven clear days without another dog going down with it to enable us to reopen.

Touch wood we haven’t had anything else, so we’re just keeping our fingers crossed at the moment.”

A concerned animal charity has reported that since the downturn in the UK’s economic climate more and more pet owners are abandoning their pets amid fears that they cannot afford to feed or care for them.

The Cats Protection League in Reading said that although there are many owners prepared to abandon their pets, there are still those who are prepared to take care of them after they have been dumped.

One animal lover from Berkshire came across a cat which had been left in carrier bag at the side of canal.

The Caversham resident, known only as Joanna, spotted a carrier bag in the road whilst on a canal walk and cautiously looked into the bag.

Inside she found a tiny ginger kitten. He was shivering and both his eyes had stuck together and his nose was running.

Joanne took the poorly cat home and contacted her local Cats Protection League. She was concerned that the kitten could be suffering from cat flu and was determined to have him looked at by a vet.

Luckily the kitten was given the all clear from pet flu and it was decided that he was simply suffering the effects of the cold after being dumped by the side of the canal.

Now the lucky kitten, christened Socks, is happy and healthy and living with Joanna and her existing pet cat.

A spokesperson from the Cats Protection League admitted that the charity is struggling to cope with the increasing numbers of cats being abandoned. She said:-

“This is a heart-warming story indeed; but many kittens and cats aren’t so lucky.

We’ve had more animals being left on the doorsteps of our centre than usual, and we think that is because people think they can’t afford to feed them or pay their vets bills.

We often see an increase in abandoned animals at this time of year. Sometimes because people are getting a new pet for Christmas, so they get rid of their old cat for the new arrival. But we’ve had more than normal and I think it’s because of the credit crunch.

This time of year is very bad for abandoned animals. The weather is terrible, so they find it harder to survive outside.

We have over 70 cats waiting for homes in Reading and the surrounding areas.
We also have a disproportionate number of kittens also waiting to come in, not uncommon for this time of year but nevertheless there are more than usual.

It’s only thanks to eagle-eyed members of the public acting quickly that some are saved - young kittens are especially vulnerable during the long, cold nights.”