The DogCast Radio blog

LUXlife magazine applauds the winners of this year’s Pet Products & Services Awards.
Nantwich based dog trainer Nose to Trail has once again been crowned Top Dog in a National competition with founder, Rachel Rodgers being awarded the accolade of Best Clinical Animal Behaviourist 2024 (UK) for the second year running from the LUXLife Pet Product & Services Awards.

• Susannah Chalmers participating in 2 world championships
• Susannah competes with her Papillon Arran
• Historic first GB senior agility team

When Susannah Chalmers took up agility with her Pug, Marsha, she never in her wildest dreams thought it would lead to competing on a world class level. Though Marsha is now enjoying retirement, Susannah shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, in 2024, Susannah is heading to not just one, but two dog agility world championships.

Have you met a three legged dog?

You may have seen one without even noticing their lack of a leg, because when a tripawd is running, it can be hard to spot that they are three legged.

When Sarah Loveland's dog, Roobi, was diagnosed with a bone tumour, and amputation was discussed, Sarah wasn't sure what life would be like post surgery. The vet was confident, and Roobi was just as full of energy and enthusiasm on three legs as she had been on four.

After a short recovery, Roobi was back to her bouncy self.

The RSPCA is searching for a very special home for a dog who has a lifelong disease which will need to be managed by her new owners.

Poodle cross Elsie was taken in by RSPCA Sussex North & Brighton Branch after she was abandoned, tied up at the gates of the Brighton Animal Centre in Patcham, on 3 February.

Big dogs take almost twice as long to rehome as smaller breeds, according to figures released by the RSPCA today.

The RSPCA - the world’s largest and oldest animal welfare charity, which celebrates its 200th birthday this year - has released new figures that show it takes almost twice as long to rehome large dog breeds, such as Alaskan malamutes, shar peis and mastiffs, than small breeds, like West Highland terriers and lhasa apsos.

Figures* show that, on average, it takes 33 days to rehome small dogs and 39 days to rehome medium-sized dogs, compared to 60 days to rehome large dogs.

The RSPCA has launched an emergency fundraising appeal to help with the costs to care for a very special dog with a ‘severe back deformity’.

Eleven-month-old crossbreed Herbert arrived at Martlesham Animal Centre, in Suffolk, last week after being rescued by RSPCA officers. Now the team at Martlesham - run by the RSPCA Suffolk Central branch* - is trying to raise money for the expensive scans and tests he needs to begin the road to recovery.

The vet charity for pets in need is calling on kind-hearted animal lovers to join #TeamPDSA at next year’s London Marathon.

“Running fever has well and truly gripped the nation after the TCS London Marathon took place over the weekend,” explains PDSA Fundraising Manager Faye Waters.

PDSA Vet Nurse Chloe Mackintosh with her London Marathon 2024 medal
“And with the ballot now open for 2025 entries, we’re urging animal-lovers across the country to get their running shoes on and run for pets in need next year.”

In celebration of our canine companions on National Pet Day, a poll of 1,265 UK dog owners commissioned by Purina has revealed that owning a dog is not only good for your physical health, but can also be great for making new friends and striking up conversations with new people.

Nearly half (44 per cent) of those surveyed revealed that they have made at least one new friend when out on a dog walk. While 66 per cent of said that owning a dog and going out for regular walks together, encouraged them to be more social with new people.

A dog who was dumped over a wall into a tangle of barbed wire has surprised her rescuers by giving birth to a healthy puppy.

The terrier - who has been named Ladybird by the RSPCA - was rescued from Levett Road, Barking, on 18 March.

RSPCA Inspector Lee Ricketts, who worked with London Fire Brigade to rescue the frightened dog, said: “We were called after a person walking along Levett Road heard a distressed dog crying on the other side of a 6ft-high (1.8m) concrete wall.

Animal-lovers have just one week left to sign an urgent electric shock collar campaign asking Members of Parliament to put pressure on the UK Government to not abandon a pledge to ban the cruel devices.

In April, Defra announced that the Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) (England) Regulations 2023 would come into force on 1 February 2024, finally consigning the use of electronic shock collars on cats and dogs in England to the history books.