Earlier this year, the Government announced that all dogs in England must be microchipped by April 2016. To support and promote this vital initiative, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is working with Lambeth Council to offer free microchipping, name tag engraving and advice about responsible dog ownership on Tuesday 6 August at Stockwell Gardens Estate.

We will be at The Pet Show at Stoneleigh Park next weekend (20th and 21st July) helping celebrate how pets enrich our lives. If you're at the show do come and say hello - we'll be on the Pet Education Trust stand, and we'd love to meet you.

Here's more information from the show's organisers:

The UK’s largest pet show set to open its doors with headline performers

The Pet Show will become the UK’s largest multi-pet event when it opens it doors to some 20,000 people, in a 21,000 square metre event location, over the weekend of 20th and 21st July.

As the heatwave (by UK standards anyway!) continues in Britain, our dogs are feeling the heat just as much as we are. Here are some lovely photos of a couple of Battersea residents cooling off.

Lucky Max, a Rottweiler, is cooling off in a paddling pool, while mixed-breed Indi is tucking into an iced dog treat. It's unbelievable that while some of us are going to great lengths to ensure our dogs don't overheat, some irresponsible owners are still leaving dogs in hot cars.

Dogs die in hot cars - surely the message should have got through by now? Here's a link to a blogpost I wrote

I was a little worried to begin with that I'd been sent an April Fool's joke in July, but I'll be really fascinated to read the results of this research. I'm sure some trainers will argue that dogs can't make the necessary connections to know that if they paw a control, the temperature goes up or down.

Also, bark controlled privacy screens? - I'm pretty sure some dogs bark to get attention, not to hide themselves away from it, so I do wonder how that will work out. What do you make of the latest news from Dogs Trust?

TAKING PUPPY-STEPS TOWARDS THE SMART KENNEL OF THE FUTURE

Pets dumped in bins, boxes and buckets

The RSPCA have reported an alarming increase in animals being abandoned across England and Wales.

In the last year, the RSPCA were called out to rescue more than 37,000 abandoned animals and received a call asking for help every 30 seconds.

Every year the charity sees a sharp rise in abandonments at the height of summer. Evidence from the RSPCA and other animal charities suggests some people chose to get rid of their pets rather than pay for them to be looked after while they are on holiday.

Animal lovers are being called to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home Old Windsor to join the rescue centre’s team of inspiring volunteers who make a huge difference to hundreds of dogs’ lives.