Pet Nation: Charities

Fridays 6pm

4:24PM, May 12, 2010

bluecross THE BLUE CROSS: HORSE RE-HOMING

The Blue Cross provides practical support, information and advice for pet and horse owners. This leading UK animal welfare charity provides a network of animal adoption centres, which rehome thousands of animals every year. Blue Cross animal hospitals also provide veterinary care for the pets of people who cannot afford private vets’ fees.
Equine welfare is at the heart of The Blue Cross’s work. The charity runs two equine welfare centres in Burford, Oxfordshire and Rolleston-on-Dove, Staffordshire, which place horses and ponies in long-term loan homes. The Blue Cross also runs a dedicated equine rest and retirement centre in Northiam in East Sussex. In 2009, The Blue Cross had 498 horses out on loan to homes across the country, 142 horses being cared for at its equine centres and 640 horses in total ownership.
Horse adoption is a highly rewarding way of acquiring a horse. The loan system operated by The Blue Cross allows staff to carefully match people with the appropriate horse or pony, and also to keep in touch and monitor the welfare of the horses whilst in their new home. The horse rehoming service is comprehensive and thorough.

CAN YOU OFFER A HOME TO A HORSE OR PONY LIKE BENJI OR GEORGIE?

benji benjiBENJI
Eight-year-old Benji came to The Blue Cross equine centre in Rolleston, Staffordshire in a terrible state of neglect. He was suffering from severe malnutrition and was infected with lice and worms. When he was found he had been confined to a stable with no access to food or water and little or no bedding. His hooves were overgrown and he was stood in a layer of faeces that was so high it caused him to bang his head on the stable beams above. Benji was very nervous when he arrived at the centre, but with intensive care and expert handling by Blue Cross staff his confidence gradually increased and he began to put on weight and his condition improved.

georgie georgieGEORGIE
Georgie is a four-year-old Welsh section A mare who originally came into Blue Cross care as a relatively unhandled two-year-old. While she has been with The Blue Cross she has undergone a lot of training to get her used to being cared for and handled in preparation for ridden work, such as catching, leading, grooming, lunging, long reining and spending time with the farrier and vet. Georgie has developed into a very pretty and good to handle little pony. She even went to a local show and won the youngster class for good behaviour and came third in condition and turnout.

Newsflash: Since they were filmed, Benji and Georgie have both found new homes. However, The Blue Cross has lots of deserving horses and ponies like Benji and Georgie who are also looking for their perfect home. For more information please call The Blue Cross Supporter Care team on 0300 790 9903 or visit: www.bluecross.org.uk

SAM AND JOSIE

sam-and-josie Sam suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. If you are affected by this in any way, for more information or to support their work please visit either http://www.muscular-dystrophy.org/about_muscular_dystrophy/conditions/97_duchenne_muscular_dystrophy or http://www.actionduchenne.org/

Dogs for the Disabled is a pioneering charity that trains dogs to carry out a range of practical tasks to assist children and adults with disabilities to help them achieve greater independence. The charity also provides a programme to support families with a child with autism. An assistance dog acts as a great ice-breaker enabling their clients to break out of the social isolation that is often experienced through disability. Every dog is trained to help dogs-disabled with everyday tasks such as opening doors or retrieving dropped items that may have rolled out of reach such as car keys, a mobile phone or an inhaler. For one adult with disabilities it may simply mean being able to do a weekly shop, for another the ability to return to work or to allow a mother with disabilities to look after her children. For families with a child with autism, living life with an assistance dog can mean that for the first time the family as a whole can enjoy a trip to a restaurant or shop, and for some, their first holiday together. For more information or to support their work please visit http://www.dogsforthedisabled.org/

International Animal Rescue

International Animal Rescue

In Indonesia the charity's team rescues and rehabilitates orangutans that have lost their treetop homes to deforestation, as well as other primates threatened by the illegal trade in wildlife. It releases as many animals as possible back into protected areas in the wild but provides lifelong care for any that can't fend for themselves. IAR's veterinary clinics also specialise in sterilising and vaccinating stray dogs and cats to control populations and prevent the spread of rabies and other infectious diseases.

The charity strives to educate the public in the compassionate and humane treatment of all animals. It uses sound scientiﬁc evidence to inform its decisions and determine the course of its rescue operations. In all its work International Animal Rescue tries to find practical solutions that benefit both animals and people.

To find out how YOU can help, visit the International Animal Rescue by clicking RIGHT HERE.

National Seal Sanctuary

seal The National Seal Sanctuary is set in the picturesque Helford Estuary, by the beautiful village of Gweek in Cornwall. They are a rescue, rehabilitation, and release centre for seals, and most seasons they rescue over 40 pups. Started in 1958 by Ken Jones, today the Sanctuary has nursery pools, convalescence, and resident pools, and a specially designed hospital. The Sanctuary also provides a much-needed haven for a variety of other animals, such as Otters, Sheep, Ponies and Goats.

For more information or to help support their work visit http://www.sealsanctuary.co.uk/corn1.html

North Devon Animal Ambulance

What if you're an orphaned baby hedgehog, a neglected pet rabbit or a deer that has been knocked down on North Devon's roads? Or a much-loved cat whose elderly carer suddenly goes into a hospital, hospice or residential home that can't accommodate pets? In situations like these, for creatures as diverse as stick insects, baby seals or fully-grown horses, North Devon has a special animal rescue service – The North Devon Animal Ambulance (NDAA). Founded in 2003, The North Devon Animal Ambulance is a completely voluntary animal rescue service dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming (or release back into their natural habitat) of all domestic and wild animals.

For more information visit www.northdevonanimalambulance.co.uk

Arundel Wetland Centre

Arundel Wetland Centre has 26 hectares of naturalised landscapes and wetland habitats holding many hundreds of exotic wildfowl from around the world. Set in ancient woodlands in the middle of the South Downs; adjacent to the River Arun; overlooked by the historic Arundel Castle skyline the centre also attracts many wild birds to the lakes, reed beds and woodland areas on the site.

The Wetland Centre was home to two very rare New Zealand Blue Ducks, Ben and Jerry. Unfortunately since filming Ben has passed away aged 14, a good innings for a duck, so now Jerry is the only one left outside of New Zealand.

To support or get more information about the Wetland Centre visit http://www.wwt.org.uk/visit-us/arundel

Dogs Trust

Dogs Trust is the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, and is dedicated to ensuring the welfare of dogs everywhere. The charity has 18 Rehoming Centres across the UK and Ireland and cares for over 16,000 stray, unwanted and abandoned dogs each year. Dogs Trust has a non-destruction policy and will never put a healthy dog to sleep. They are working towards the day when all dogs can enjoy a happy life, free from the threat of unnecessary destruction. Their slogan “A Dog is for Life, Not Just for Christmas” is famous in the UK and has helped to significantly reduce the number of dogs given as gifts and then abandoned once the novelty has worn off.

SOME OF THE DOGS THAT NEED YOUR HELP ARE BELOW. For more information on these dogs or any others, or to help support Dogs Trust please visit http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/

OSCAR

pet nation dog appeal Colour: Rusty Red

Gender: Male

Age: 11 weeks

Breed: Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Oscar is an 11 week old Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy who was found abandoned in a bin shoot in the London area. He was only five weeks old and far too young to be away from his mother and litter mates. As a result, when he first came to Dogs Trust Harefield, he was quite naughty. However, now that he has been there for a few weeks, he has learnt how to behave by learning from other puppies in his puppy kennel.

Oscar is a lovely, cuddly pup who will need to go to a family who have had experience of bull breeds. He can be a bit of a cheeky monkey, so would be suitable to live with children over the age of 10 years. It is not essential that he lives with another dog, but it would be beneficial if he lived with an older role model would who can show him the ways of the world.

HARIBO

pet nation dog appeal Colour: brown and white

Gender: male

Age: 18 months

Breed: Jack Russell Terrier

Haribo is an eighteen month old Jack Russell Terrier who was recently handed into Dogs Trust Harefield by a family in Hertfordshire because he was too spritely for his retired owners. He is a typical Jack Russell Terrier who loves to have a good nose around and explore. Haribo is very lively and does not sit still for long, and he loves to play with toys, particularly tug toys and tennis balls.

He will need an energetic family who are looking for an active dog who is full of fun. Haribo can live with other dogs and children over the age of 11 years (as he is bouncy and jumps up a lot). He would suit a family who have had terriers before and know all about their cheeky traits, and they must be willing to teach him some manners! Haribo does not like being left alone for too long, so someone who is home a lot or can take him to work would be ideal.

SID

sid Colour: black and white

Gender: Male

Age: 4 years

Breed: Collie Cross

Sid is a very sweet four year old Collie cross who was found as a stray in Ireland before being transferred to Scotland. He is very calm and can be a bit submissive when you first meet him, so new owners will need to help him build up his confidence.

He is quite shy and would benefit from living with another confident dog that he can learn from and make him feel more secure. Sid is a little scared of toys, but he does love his treats. Once he has settled in to his new home and his confidence has grown, he really will make the perfect family pet. He will need lots of exercise and can live with children over the age of 10 years.

Cancer & Bio-detection Dogs

Cancer & Bio-detection Dogs is a new charity that works in partnership with researchers from the Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust, their aim is to improve the detection, recognition and diagnosis of human diseases and other medical conditions including cancer and diabetes, by the use of dogs and other animals trained in the recognition of relevant stimuli.

To support their work or find out more visit http://www.cancerdogs.org.uk/

RDA - Strikey the Wonder Horse

The Riding for the Disabled Association's aim is to provide riding or carriage driving to benefit the health and wellbeing of adults and children with disabilities. Strikey has been an RDA horse for the past seventeen years, in this time he has given over 8000 rides and provided countless children with an amazing life changing experience helping to improve both their mental and physical ability.