The DogCast Radio blog

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is pleased with an Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee report on the welfare of domestic pets released today, 16 November.

The issue of backstreet dog breeding is one on which Battersea has long campaigned for change, and the new report addresses this subject, making several recommendations for change. Among other things, the EFRA report calls for a licence for anyone breeding more than two litters in a year, mandatory registration for all breeders, and the licensing of everyone selling animals online.

This Christmas how would you like to attend a stylish festive night out at The Grand Connaught Rooms, London? And what if you could not only raise money for The Mayhew Animal Home by having a great night out, but your dog could accompany you too?

Well, this most spectacular, dog friendly event is happening on 6th December in the venue’s majestic Grand Hall, and you – and your dog – are invited! There will a three course meal on offer, entertainment, information about the Mayhew’s tireless efforts to support animals in need, and a raffle and auction.

This video is delightful!

The gorgeous Golden Retriever, Jolene, can obviously hardly believe it when her favourite toy walks into the room - human sized. Cautious at first, she steps carefully forward to check out just what is going on.

Then she realises that the huge toy is actually her owner dressed up, and her pleasure is obvious. Soon her owner is on the floor and she is dancing around him in excitement. Beautiful!

Hope this warms your heart as much as it did mine.

Take care,

Julie xx

For Halloween, two of the RSPCA’s long-stay pets are having their portraits painted on pumpkins to highlight their search for a new home.

Kai the dog and Fred the cat are both currently residents at RSPCA South Godstone animal centre. They were rescued by RSPCA inspectors, but they are still waiting for their forever homes after several months at the centre. The charity hopes the pair might be in their new homes for Halloween, and have released a special time-lapse video showing the creation of their pumpkin portraits.

Kai is a three year old Lurcher cross who has been in the RSPCA’s care for over 18 months. He has appeared on Channel 5’s The Dog Rescuers, but still has not managed to find a new loving owner.

Tony Shaw, deputy manager at RSPCA South Godstone said: “Kai is such a handsome boy, he certainly looks good on a pumpkin! This lovely boy has been waiting patiently to find a family who will spoil him and give him plenty of walks where he can stretch his long legs. Although Kai hasn't had the best start, he is an affectionate chap who enjoys human company and he will therefore require his owners to be home for the majority of the day to give him the attention he deserves. Kai is a clever dog who has some basic training, however will require further training to improve his manners and teach him more basic commands.

“Swimming is one of Kai's favourite hobbies, he recently had a great day out at the beach with some of the centre staff, he travelled brilliantly and his behaviour was perfect. Kai cannot live with cats or small animals, he also needs further socialisation with other dogs so he will need to be the only household pet. Kai will be happy to live with children of secondary school age.”

Poor Fred, a four year old cat, was abandoned by his owners, and has been at the RSPCA shelter for over five months.

Tony said: “Fred has been with us for some time and has been steadily growing in confidence every day since coming into our care. He does enjoy fuss but prefers to keep his feet firmly on the floor. We are confident he’ll really come out of his shell with an understanding family, and believe he could be happy living with a female cat as he did before his rescue, but are sure that living with a dog would be too much for this sensitive boy.

“Fred is going to need a space of his own while he settles in and it would suit him if someone was around for part of the day, so that he knew someone was around but also knew he had some time to himself. We would also be looking for a home with older children who can understand Fred's needs and will allow him the time and space while he finds his way.

Tony added: “Let’s hope these handsome boys will catch a few eyes this Hallowe’en with their pumpkin portraits. You never know, the new owners may just get to keep the pumpkin too!”

If you feel moved to offer Kai or Fred a loving forever home, please contact Tony Shaw at RSPCA South Godstone Animal Centre on 0300 123 0741.

Asian communities celebrate Gods, humans and animals.

Each year in Nepal – and in Nepalese communities around the world – dogs are celebrated with the Tihar Festival. Tihal means festival of lights, and this year the RSPCA is hoping that the light will fall on some of their residents.

The five-day Tihar is observed by Hindus, and at this special time they worship their Gods as well as humans and animals. For Gorkhas, Tihar represents the divine attachment between people and other animals. This year the festival begins on 27th October.

Greyhound Bud become known as Battersea Dogs & Cats Home’s unluckiest dog after spending over 1000 days in the home - but thanks to Paul O’Grady, Bud’s luck has changed for the better.

Battersea staff had been trying to find Bud a home for nearly three years, then the Corns family spotted him on the ITV series Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs, which is based at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

Laurence Ackland Smith is Battersea Dogs and Cats Home’s longest serving volunteer, and has recently celebrated 30 years of supporting the charity. To mark the achievement, Battersea staff and volunteers got together at the Home to throw Laurence a celebratory party.

Tom Hardy, star of Mad Max, is a dog lover, and recently took to the Canary Wharf trading floor of BGC partners, for their annual Charity Day. Tom’s aim was to raise funds for Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

The BGC Charity Day is held every year to remember all those who dies in the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks. Celebrities choose charities to represent and join licensed brokers on the trading floors to conduct transactions with BGC clients, with 100 per cent of the revenues from the day going to the chosen charities.

Surf session brings joy to children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Aaron, featured in the video, has type I SMA.

Ricochet, the amazing surfing dog has been creating unique surfing experiences for individuals with disabilities for over seven years. She recently had an incredible first – surfing with a child unable to breath on her own. Three-year-old Bailey had a big, beaming smile on her face as she took to the surf board, her mom beside her holding her breathing machine.

Bailey suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), which is a disease that affects the motor nerve cells in the spinal cord, taking the ability to move around, swallow or even breathe. It is responsible for more infant deaths than any other genetic disease. Bailey has type I SMA, the worst and most common type.

However, recently Bailey, and several fellow SMA sufferers defied the disease that affects them so cruelly, and participated in a special surf session with Ricochet and Cure SMA.

A bath chair attached to the surf board to support any children unable to hold up their own head. Cradled safely in the bath chair, surrounded by a team of skilled volunteers, the children were thrilled to take to the sea. Bearing in mind the profound nature of the children’s disability, safety had to be a high priority, and the combined expertise of the water team and Ricochet safeguarded the children’s wellbeing.

Like Bailey, some of the children have a tracheostomy, which is a surgical procedure to create an opening in the trachea, enabling them to breathe. It was imperative not to allow water to enter the opening, as this could lead to pneumonia, and therefore every time a wave came into shore, the team picked up the surfboard.

Staying in very shallow water, the water team chose small waves into which to lower the board, and walk it back to the shore. Once the board came to a stop, it was raised out of the water by the team, providing the child with the surf experience with Ricochet while keeping them safe.

Bailey’s older sister, Riley, is five years old, and has type II SMA. Despite not being able to hold up her head unaided, she was determined to be first into the water on Ricochet’s surfboard.

As Judy, Ricochet’s owner, puts it, “For a child with SMA, going from a stroller full of gear to a surfboard full of cheer gives both the child and the parents the opportunity to do something they never thought possible.”

Those children for whom it was deemed safe, were allowed further out into the water, but always had a volunteer on hand and the whole team standing ready nearby.

All the first-time surfers – and their parents – had a wonderful day.

Ricochet and Judy are on a mission to raise awareness of SMA, and the issues its sufferers face.

There are four primary types of SMA – I, II, III and IV. Type I is the most severe and the most common. Type II is less sever, with suffers usually able to sit up with help, but unable to walk. Type III typically doesn’t stop the sufferer walking, but mobility problems increase with age. Type IV is rare, and is usually not diagnosed until adulthood, when it can cause mild motor impairment.

As Judy explains, “Our non-profit, Puppy Prodigies is blessed with volunteer water men and women who are very highly skilled, trained and experienced in surfing, dog handling, and the disabled community. Couple that with an Executive Director who has a degree in service dog training, plus a dog who has extensive training as a service dog, and you have a team that prides themselves on high standards. Our number one priority is safety and we abide by all the rules, regulations and laws governing the unique work we do. Our insurance covers Ricochet, those she surfs with, and our volunteers. It is because of these practices that we are able to provide these surf sessions with the utmost conviction.

“Thank you to Cure SMA, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, and especially the parents for trusting us with your children.”

For more information, email pawinspired@aol.com or visit these links...

http://www.surfdogricochet.com
https://www.facebook.com/SurfDogRicochet
https://instagram.com/surfdogricochet/
http://curesma.org/
http://www.ionispharma.com/

Olympic fever has even gripped the residents of Battersea Dog & Cats Home! Yesterday, rescue dogs Trotty and Kenny, who were named after Olympic competitors, were delighted last night to watch their namesakes adding to their haul of medals.

The inspiration for Trotty and Kenny’s names are British cycling couple, Laura Trott and Jason Kenny. The Team GB cyclists have between them won an amazing ten gold medals at the Rio Olympics.