The DogCast Radio blog

I took this photo when we visited the beach after Buddy's venture into the doggy olympics.

It was a scene that made me smile then, and it does now. I like the feeling of solidarity - everyone's at the beach, even the dog, as evidenced by the scoop bag. I like the feeling it gives me of kicking off my shoes and having a run through the waves with my dog, having fun. And I love the fact that the family are being responsible, clearing up after their dog.

The John Lewis Christmas advert contains scenes that many dog lovers have found offensive. I started a Facebook page which 1000 people joined in the first twenty four hours, and there is a petition too which within a day had over 1000 signatures.
 
John Lewis ignored us, then they fobbed us off then they misled us. This is the email that was sent to me, it is this wording which caused a story to run in my local paper which was picked up by the Telegraph (who did not contact me) :

The John Lewis Christmas ad issue rages on. There are over 1000 people on the Stop the John Lewis Christmas Ad Facebook page and nearly 700 on the petition objecting to the advert. I'm still currently waiting for a phone call from the PR dept to tell me what their reaction is.
 
I have had an email from them which was just a standard one sent out to many people:

There seems to be so much unhappiness about the John Lewis advert that we have created a Facebook page called Stop the John Lewis Christmas Ad. If you're on Facebook please do visit that page and watch the advert; and if you feel moved, complain to John Lewis. This ad from a very well UK department shop is sending out a dreadful message about the conditions in which it's acceptable to keep a dog.

Have you seen the John Lewis Christmas advert? If you have, did your heart sink at the scene where the dog was left outside in the snow with just a fairly ramshackle kennel for shelter? If so and you'd like to complain, you can email John Lewis to register your views. Apparently John Lewis have said they are aware of the problem, but of course, the more complaints they receive, the more urgently they will sort things out.

After telling you about Star' weekend, I'd like to share with your Star's week. Two days ago we let the dogs out for their last toilet break of the day, and they returned as usual to have their last biscuit of the day and settle on their beds. However not long after coming back in, Star started coughing. The couching developed into retching, but every time I checked on her she had only produced a variety of stomach churning noises - nothing else thankfully.
 

Next week on Tuesday 2nd November it will be the Westminster Dog of the Year Competition 2010. I will avoid any puns about politics being a dog eat dog world and so on and simply leave you in peace to read the following information:
 
If a week is a long time in politics, just imagine how long it is in dog years… 

I meant to post these pictures of Star's weekend last week, but other subjects came up (like poor Lennox) that were more pressing so Star got bumped to this week, but I'm sure she understands. Last weekend the forecast was for the last weather resembling anything like summery so we decided to make the most of. On Saturday we headed for the beach. Both our dogs love the beach, but for different reasons. Buddy loves to chase a ball across the sand and then cool off with a paddle. Star loves to dig for all she's worth and then sit and contemplate life. I managed to capture her doing just that in the first picture here, and it's one of my favourite shots of her. She can be a little monkey, but she does have a serious side.

I watched the video about Lennox and I had tears in my eyes thinking how his poor family must be feeling; and thinking how poor Lennox must be feeling, locked away from his people for so long. I wondered how I would bear it if it was one of my dogs, and I was so thankful that I have a Labrador and a Bichon - "safe" dogs, or at least dogs that are safe from the threat of being confiscated. And then I recalled the Poodle Martyrs and a chill ran through me. There are no guarantees, and with all the anti-dog attitudes being bandied about who knows what the future will be for dogs.

Of course, we should all rally round Lennox simply to alleviate the suffering of him and his family. But if you need further persuasion, look at your dog curled up on the couch beside you, or whatever he or she is doing right now and just for a few painful seconds imagine how you would feel if he was ripped from the heart of his family and locked up for months away from you under sentence of death. It's devastating isn't it? - and yet if the dog community doesn't work together and exert pressure, if we stand by and allow this to happen apart from the trauma caused to one family and their dog, who knows what we open the floodgates to.

There's a quote attributed to Pastor Martin Niemoller that came into my mind:

They came first for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me
and by that time no one was left to speak up.

So today it's the suspected Pit Bulls they're coming for, which breed will they be coming for tomorrow? Let's get Lennox home, and let's make sure this stops happening to dogs - my dogs, your dogs, any dogs.

Take care,

Julie xx

The very sad case of Lennox was brought to my attention, and I wanted to share it with DogCast Radio listeners. You can support the Save Lennox campaign on Twitter and on Facebook and to find out more about how you can help Lennox visit his website where you can read his story: