Dogs Trust tips to make Christmas extra special and safe for your four legged friends.

Happy Waggy Christmas!

Christmas is all about having fun with your loved ones, toasting yourself by the fire, exchanging gifts and stuffing yourself silly. Christmas really is a magical time of the year for all of us, including our furry friends. Make the most of the festive season by playing interactive fun games with wrapping paper, making some delicious crimbo Kongs and most importantly, keeping Fido safe this festive season.

Follow these tips below to make Christmas extra special and extra safe for your four legged loved ones (and the three legged ones at that)!

• Using left over cardboard boxes from Santa's gifts, scrunch up used wrapping paper and sprinkle your dogs dry kibble in the box so they can have to dig and sniff around in the box to find the food! Great for keeping your pooch busy!
  
  
• Make your beloved pooch a special festive Kong by stuffing layers of turkey, ham, carrots, veggies and topping off with half a teaspoon of cranberry jam. NOTE: Cranberry sauce can be very sugary so only feed a tiny amount as a special taster treat!
  
  
• Nothing beats a big family walk on Christmas day and regardless of how many mince pies you’ve eaten, your dog will still need walking! Wrap up warm and don’t forget the poop bags. Bring your dogs special new toys from Santa and have some festive frolics in the crisp Christmas air.

• Twinkly baubles on the tree could prove a little too tempting for some dogs! Never leave your dog unattended around the Christmas tree just in case he mistakes the delicate glass decorations for a toy!

• Baby gates are a great idea if you’re having friends and family over this Christmas. Section off a room to act as your dogs own retreat if he feels the festivities are getting all a little too much. Baby gates mean he won’t feel like he’s being isolated away from his family, but does mean he can feel safe knowing he’ll be left alone to relax, sleep or have a chew if needs be.

• REMEMBER, chewing helps your dog feel calm and relaxed. If your home is a little busier than usual, make sure your dog has the option to take himself away somewhere quiet where he can enjoy a chew in peace!

• Christmas is the tastiest time of the year and we’re all prone to over indulging. Be it cheese boards, Christmas pudding or our favourite cream liqueurs there will be an awful lot of temptation for your dog. There are lots of human foods that are highly toxic to dogs including Grapes and Raisins, so no Christmas pudding for Pooches! Turkey bones are very dangerous to your dog and even spilt alcohol could be lapped up from the floor, so please make sure your dog isn’t being sneakily fed under the table or has the option to steal food from the side board. 

• Indulge your dog with Toys and Games rather than food and treats to help prevent your pooch becoming sick!
  
  
  Merry Christmas to you and your furry friends, and remember; A dog is for life, not just for Christmas xxxx
  
  

Super Scooter!

  

Hi folks, my name is Scooter. I am an almost 2 year old Jack Russell Terrier crossbreed.  I arrived at Dogs Trust in January with a longstanding skin condition that was left untreated for quite some time. Although I have been told it’s all clear now, due to my weak immune system I am unlikely to be ever 100% better and will need ongoing medication.  The gang in Dogs Trust have been super duper. I got really sick recently they were afraid I wasn’t going to make it. They did all sorts of swanky tests and biopsies on me and have put me on the best of medication which I take everyday with a special treat.  I’ve even seen a veterinary dermatologist! 

To be honest, now, I just couldn’t be happier! Why wouldn't I be, I’m handsome, fun, brainy and have loads of energy.  The things I love are; cuddles, snuggles, treats, children and doggies my own size.

All the staff in Dogs Trust love me, I think I might be their favourite. They always want me to come visit them because I am so well behaved and I have no bother finding the ball when they lose it!

One of the nice people who comes into to Dogs Trust to help them out wrote a lovely poem about me which I thought you might like to read.  ‘Only a heart of stone couldn't see the beauty that lies within me, I may look tired and a little worn but please don't look at me with pity and scorn , I’ve kindness in my little soul it’s hard though always being on your own, I’ve fought my battles and I’m only small but my heart is brave and my courage is tall, maybe some day at me you will glance, and think i too like the others deserve a second chance’



And guess what?! That nice friend and her lovely family decided to adopt me last week.  They are the lovelist people and absolutly adore me. I am being spoilt rotten by my new Mom and Dad and their 2 kids Adam and Sam (that's them in the picture to the right) I also have a new brother and sister, Dubh and Candy, they are great fun to play with and even let me lie on the couch beside them.  I really have settled in so well, I'm healthy, have boundless energy and am loving life. Thanks so much to my new family for giving me a second chance and my forever home, lots of love Scooter x       

Dogs Trust Better Together Video

Hi guys,

We have a big favour to ask our you! Dogs Trust have produced and submitted a super 2 minute video for the Better Together online video competition. The little video features some of our current doggie residents as well as highlighting the great work that Dogs Trust does. We really need your help to get us to the next stage of the competition in order to be in with the chance to win a prize of €3,000, think of all the doggie Christmas pressies we could buy with that! All you have to do is click on the link and vote for us!

http://www.bettertogether.ie/content/dogs-trust-better-together

You can vote once a day EVERYDAY until the 19th of November. Please ask your family, friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, long lost school friends to share too.

Thanks so much everyone xxxxx

Cruel Abandonment of Terrier Shocks Dogs Trust Staff

Staff at our Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre were left shocked last weekend after examining CCTV footage that revealed a man throwing a terrier cross over the 8ft fence leading into the staff carpark in broad daylight.

The incident took place at approximately 09.50 hrs last Sunday morning. Dogs Trust centre manager Catriona Birt said “the footage clearly shows a man driving a dark coloured Mercedes Benz pulling into the car park of Dogs Trust and taking out a little dog from the back seat of the car, walking straight over to the fence and throwing him over. You can see that the poor little dog is distressed, trying to understand what has happened and frantically looking for it’s owner’ The dog was quickly seen to by the Dogs Trust vet on call where he remained under medical supervision for 24 hours. Catriona said “The dog was shaken and confused but has come on leaps and bounds in the last few days.  We have named him Memphis, he is a gorgeous little man so full of love and life’.
Mark Beazley, executive director Dogs Trust said “Dogs Trust’s door is open to anybody who would like to come in and have a chat about rehoming a dog or any other aspect of dog welfare. We are aware that people’s circumstances change and understand it’s a very sad and sometimes traumatic situation for somebody when they can no longer look after their pet.  We would encourage people to seek information about the proper way to deal with such a situation, for instance going to other welfare organisations close to them for advice on the options open to them.Mark added “Our centre is been run at full occupancy since the day we officially opened our doors in 2009, our priority is to rehome as many dogs as we possibly can.  We cannot, as is the case with all animal welfare organisations, take in every surrender enquiry that we receive, we just don’t have the room but we always give advice about the best course of action to take.”

Dogs Trust are searching for the next ‘Santa’s Little Helper’

Dogs Trust are searching for the next ‘Santa’s Little Helper’

Can you believe it’s that time of year again!  If you would like to see your dapper doggie on the front of a Dogs Trust Christmas card then get cracking!

We are currently designing our 2012 cards and have 1 spot to feature a photo of your pooch!

Anyone can submit a pic and we are not restricting this to rehomed Dogs Trust dogs. Please feel free to share this with your dog owning friends and family.

Here are the Guidelines

1. The photo must be Christmas themed. (Think snow, Christmas trees, fairy lights, stockings, tinsel, Santa, winter coats, presents etc.) It’s okay to stage it!
2. The photo needs to be high quality so that we can print great quality cards. (It is ok to upload a lower resolution photo as long as you can email us a high resolution photo at a later date if required.)
3. We will not be able to use any blurred photos as they will not print well.
4. Make sure the photo is nice and bright.
5. Dogs only in the photo! We cannot have any of the other family members in the photo, so animals only!
6. We cannot accept any dogs in fancy dress, but props like crackers, Christmas hats, stockings etc. are fine.
7. The photo must belong to you as we will need your permission to use the image for all uses.
8. Tip: Try not to have too much going on in your photo, after all it’s all about the dog!
9. You can upload the photo directly onto our facebook page or email it to dtmarketing.ie@gmail.com
10. Include some information about your dog like name, age, where they came from etc.
11. Entries are restricted to 2 photos per person.

The closing date is 12 noon on Thursday 6th September 2012 so send in your pics ASAP!

Please don’t be disappointed if your photo is not picked, as we will only have 1 spot to fill. This year 9 of our Dogs Trust current residents will be featuring in the pack in order to try and find them a home.

Kayleigh and DeeDee review W. Bruce Cameron's A Dog's Purpose

Kayleigh, from our Fundraising team and her dog DeeDee the Staffy cross, let us know what they think about this charming tale of a dog's lives...
(which has been 49 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list!)

DeeDee takes a closer look

Despite my best efforts, DeeDee was having none of it when I tried to convince her that what we really wanted to be doing on a rainy Saturday afternoon was going for a nice long walk. So instead of enjoying the great, very wet, outdoors we spent the afternoon curled up on the sofa with a cup of tea (for me), a fresh bowl of water (for DeeDee) and A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron.

It's a heart warming tale, narrated by a dog recounting the journey of being reincarnated through many lives trying to find and fulfil its purpose.

The simplistic writing style makes this book a very easy read and you’ll find yourself chuckling out loud, although be warned: any pet owner will undoubtedly get a lump in their throat at a few poignant moments. 

If ever you find yourself looking at your canine companion and wondering what they are thinking and the stories they could tell you, you will almost certainly enjoy this book. DeeDee and I found it perfect for whiling away a rainy afternoon, and with our wonderful "Summers" we can guarantee there are going to be a few...

Dogs Unleashed Campaign

We're supporting the efforts of Dogs Unleashed campaigning for fair and balanced bye-laws in Dun Loghaire-Rathdown, where the County Council has recently proposed considerable restrictions on dog walking in the area.

Check out their video and sign the petition at http://www.dogs-unleashed.org/category/campaign/

DunLaoire Rathdown County Council (DLR) has proposed amendments to the beach bye-laws that ban dogs from ever entering the designated bathing area at Seapoint and Sandycove. They also ban dogs from the designated bathing area of Killiney beach for 5 months from May - September inclusive. Outside of designated areas, dogs may be exercised off leash but only before 10am and after 7pm, which for six months of the year would be in total darkness for evening exercise. The bye-laws make dog ownership very difficult in DLR and do nothing to tackle the key issues.

The Dogs Unleashed campaign centres on responsible and accountable dog ownership. Dogs Unleashed is asking DLR to enact fair and balanced bye-laws that consider all citizens who enjoy our open spaces and not the draconian and anti-dog regulations proposed. They also want these laws enforced on the minority of dog owners who fail to dispose of dog faeces and who actually allow their dogs to be 'out of control' thereby causing any sort of nuisance to the public at large. Dogs Trust supports Dogs Unleashed in their efforts.