Tag: dog owners

Wagathon is back! 

Dog owners are preparing to walk 9K with their K9s and make charitable donations go through the ‘woof’!

Tails and tongues are set to wag this August with the return of pawsome annual fundraising event, Wagathon™, initiated by leading fundraising platform, Give as you Live Donate.

Dog owners across the UK are being encouraged to put on their walking boots and join their four-legged friends in walking 9K any day they like throughout August and raise vital charity funds.

Participants can choose to raise money for a charity close to their heart, whether it’s a local dog rescue centre or a well-known national charity — they all need support!

When dog owners sign up, they will receive a special welcome pack, including a Wagathon™ tag for their dog’s collar — plus, they will be in with the chance of winning some top prizes from Yappy and Scruffs.

It’s super-simple to get involved in the Wagathon™ challenge. All people need to do is:

1) Pick a charity to support

2) Create a Wagathon™ fundraising page

3) Share the page with friends, family and colleagues

4) Complete 9K with your K9s

Participants are encouraged to tag @thewagathonpack on Instagram and share their fundraising journey to be in the chance of winning a pawsome prize bundle!

For further information, and to kickstart your challenge, visit: 

donate.giveasyoulive.com/pages/wagathon

Charlotte’s story

In memory of her beloved dog, Freddie, who passed away in June 2022, Charlotte Jones from Lapworth, Warwickshire, will be walking and running 9km every day during the month of August. She’ll be walking 279km in total to raise money for Fetcher Dog Charity.

Fetcher Dog was founded because thousands of dogs are born on the streets of Bosnia every year, condemned to starvation, disease and brutal, inhumane deaths.

Fetcher Dog aims to rescue as many of these dogs as possible and find them forever homes.

So far, Charlotte has reached 50% of her fundraising target.

To donate, visit: donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/freddies-walk

Bobby’s story

Lynn Carr, from Seaham, County Durham, owns beautiful spaniels, Willow and Bobby. This August, the trio will be walking 9K in the Lake District for a charity close to all their hearts, Spaniel Aid.

Back in 2017, when Bobby was only 8 months old, he was given to Spaniel Aid by owners who couldn’t look after him. He spent time in foster carer where he was taught simple things like walking on a lead. After seeing his picture on the charity’s Facebook page, Lynn applied to meet him.

Lynn says: “We visited Bobby with Willow to see if they got on and, a week later, Bobby came to join our family. Without this charity, we would never have come across our boy. For that, we are entirely grateful.”

Unfortunately, Bobby was one of dozens of spaniels up for adoption or needing foster carers. Spaniel Aid is funded entirely by donations and the generosity of the public and people who adopt dogs from them.

To find out more, and to donate, visit: 

donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/spaniels-by-the-sea

Follow the trio on their Instagram page, @spanielsbythesea, here: www.instagram.com/spanielsbythesea/

Harris and Bracken’s story

Fiona Reid, from Musselburgh, Scotland, and her gorgeous Miniature Wirehaired Dachshunds, Harris and Bracken, are on a mission to walk 9K and raise as much money as possible to support a fellow Dachshund called Daphne.

Daphne was recently rescued by DMT Dachshund Rescue and Support Group, a charity that rescues Dachshunds from the meat trade in China and Korea with the clear mission that no Dachshund gets left behind.

Daphne has a broken leg, and someone sadly cut off her tail, leaving her with an infected stump. The charity wasn’t sure whether her leg could be saved at first; but, after examination, Daphne’s leg can be healed at a heavy cost of £3,700.

To support the charity and Daphne with this bill, Fiona, Harris and Bracken will be walking a 9k coastal walk this August in East Lothian.

To offer them suppawt, and to donate, visit: 

donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/fundraising-for-dmt-dachshund-rescue-and-support-group

Follow the trio on their Instagram page, @theworldaccordingtoharris, here: 

www.instagram.com/theworldaccordingtoharris/

Buddy’s tail

Daniel Hoole, from Chesterfield, is walking with his spaniel, Buddy, for Phoenix Heroes — a charity that supports veterans.

As a veteran himself, Daniel used Phoenix Heroes when he was suffering from PTSD and, through their support, he was able to get his life back on track by socialising with others, fishing and reflecting on the past.

Daniel says: “The charity is so special to me; they have helped me more than I could put into words. Completing Wagathon with Buddy is great as we are both doing what we love and helping others with similar situations to myself. I recommend this challenge to any dog owners as it’s a fantastic challenge to enjoy with your best friend.”

Instead of completing the 9km in August, Daniel and Buddy will be doing Wagathon around Remembrance Day in Snowdon.

Royal Veterinary College invites dog owners to participate in autoimmune diseases study

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is calling for owners of dogs in the UK with autoimmune diseases to take part in a vital piece of new research, which aims to gather data and insight into the diagnosis, treatment response and outcomes of these dogs.

This information will then be shared with local veterinary practices and specialist hospitals to help owners and vets make well-informed decisions when dogs are diagnosed with one of these conditions.

Autoimmune diseases are encountered frequently in dogs, often causing severe illnesses that require intensive hospital care and prolonged treatment with immunosuppressive medications.

The RVC alone sees between 50-100 dogs with immune-mediated diseases each year, with many more never being referred for treatment at specialist hospitals. In some cases, however, treatment causes side effects that can have a negative effect on quality of life.

To address the current shortage of information and aid the veterinary community, researchers at the RVC have developed a new observational study, named ImmunoRegistry.

The registry will gather information about dogs that have been recently diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, following them in real-time over a one-year period to find out how they respond to treatment.

Once enrolled, owners and vets will be contacted at regular intervals using emailed questionnaires to ask for detailed updates about their dog’s progress.

Analysis of this information will then be used to answer key questions, including defining the prognosis and risk of relapse for dogs with these diseases as well as whether some breeds or types of dogs develop more side effects from medications than others.

The team aims to collect information from 400 dogs, making it the largest planned study of autoimmune diseases ever conducted in veterinary medicine globally and providing an important resource for future study.

James Swann, postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University, New York, said: “There is an urgent need to optimise the treatment of dogs with autoimmune diseases, and this study represents an important first step in gathering vital information to make clinical recommendations and guide future research projects.”

Dr Barbara Glanemann, lead researcher and senior lecturer in Small Animal Medicine at the RVC, added: “This study will be the first time that the treatment and progress of dogs with autoimmune diseases has been investigated outside universities, providing an essential perspective on the challenges faced by affected dogs and their owners in wider veterinary practice.” 

Criteria and information for enrolment includes:

  • Dogs must have been diagnosed with any of the following conditions in the past 10 days: immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA), immune thrombocytopenia (ITP, low platelet count), immune-mediated polyarthritis (IMPA), or steroid-responsive meningitis arteritis (SRMA).
  • Owners must give informed consent to participate in the study and allow access to the dog’s medical records and permission to contact their vet
  • For owners expressing interest, vets will be contacted to determine the suitability of each case
  • Participating in the study will not alter the treatment or management of owners’ dogs in any way
  • All personal data will be handled securely and confidentially. Owners can opt out of the data collection at any point.

The project is funded by the Small Animal Medicine Society (SAMSoc), and owners can volunteer to participate in the study by visiting: 

https://rvc.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/immunoregistry

Dog lovers in Scotland needed to take part in ‘land-bark’ survey

Dogs Trust in Scotland is calling on local dog lovers to take part in the biggest ever nationwide survey to help dogs and owners of the future.

The National Dog Survey, launched by Dogs Trust, will help the charity better-understand the UK’s 12.5 million-strong pooch population and the part dogs play in their owners’ lives, shaping the support the charity offers to canine companions and their families.

Dogs Trust has two rehoming centres in Scotland, one in Glasgow and the other in West Calder, both of which find homes for hundreds of rescue dogs each year.

Sandra Downie, Rehoming Centre Manager for Dogs Trust in Glasgow, says: “Through this survey we want to learn as much as possible about dog ownership to inform what we do to improve dog welfare and support dog owners.  

“Dogs Trust has been around for 130 years and in that time so much has changed when it comes to dogs being at the heart of our family. 

“This is the first time we have carried out a survey of this kind and we want to hear from dog owners as well as people who don’t currently have a dog but have lived with one in the past.  By gathering as much information as we can, we will be able to help people and dogs live the best lives possible together.”

The online survey asks dog owners about everything from how their dog behaves and what training they do with their four-legged friend, to questions about their relationship such as do they celebrate their dog’s birthday and do they tell them they love them.

It also covers people’s post-pandemic plans for their dog such as are they hoping to take them into the office with them or will they employ a dog walker, if they are returning to their workplace.

The survey, which can be completed online at www.nationaldogsurvey.org.uk, also asks people to say how having a dog improves their life, what advice they would give to people looking to welcome a dog into their family and what one thing could Dogs Trust do to help them and their dog live happily together.

Sandra adds: “We always love to hear tales from owners who have adopted from us, and every single one of them has a different story to tell. We now want to capture the experiences of all local dog owners so we can build a picture of dog ownership today and what more Dogs Trust can do to help them and their dogs.

“This will be the most comprehensive census of dogs and dog lovers ever completed and we would love it if everyone who is passionate about dogs could do their bit to help our four-legged friends of the future have the best lives possible.

“What people tell us today will help us make sure we are able to do everything we can to support dogs and their owners for the next 130 years and more.”

For more information and to take part in the National Dog Survey, visit www.nationaldogsurvey.org.uk 

Dog owners who complete the survey will get tailored behaviour advice sent direct to them.

The closing date is 17th October.

Dog owners experiencing homelessness given vital lifeline by charity partnership

A year-long partnership between the UK’s largest dog welfare charity Dogs Trust and leading homelessness charity Simon Community Scotland, has successfully increased accommodation and support options for dog owners experiencing homelessness in Scotland.

Through engagement with homelessness service providers in Scotland, a total of 30 have signed up since the launch of the project to develop dog-friendly policies and begin accepting referrals from dog-owners. 

This includes three charities that have developed a charity wide pet-policy, and the project continues to support their services across the country to welcome pet owners. Launched in September 2020, the jointly funded role between the two charities was developed to ensure that fewer dog owners in Scotland have to make the heart-breaking choice between a safe place to sleep or staying with their dog.  

The findings from Dogs Trust and Simon Community Scotland’s partnership highlighted that a lack of pet-friendly policies in homelessness accommodation services is a significant problem for those facing homelessness.

The charities’ joint dedicated, 1-year Pets and Housing Project has been working with homelessness organisations across Scotland to provide tailored support so they can remove barriers and open their doors to dog owners through the ‘Welcoming Dogs’ scheme operated by Dogs Trust.  

One person who has benefitted from the work of the project is Damon, who became homeless when the only hostel space he was offered wouldn’t accept dogs. He feared he would need to give his dog up. Damon describes how Odan saved his life. 

Damon said: “I needed a reason to get out of bed in the morning, I was losing grip on life and I didn’t want to live anymore. Odan has been an absolute godsend to me, and he has completely changed my outlook on life. Odan gives me the energy I needed to push forward with my life, he has given me something to fight for. 

“It means everything to be with Odan. I wish I had the words to express how it feels. Dogs pick up from us how we are feeling, and they know if we’re not happy. The reason that Odan settled, is because I am settled here. It has made a big difference to us to be made to feel so welcomed. “

With support from Simon Community Scotland and Dogs Trust, Damon was able stay with Odan thanks to the local authority arranging pet-friendly emergency accommodation for them. Damon and Odan have since moved into their own tenancy together. 

Cat Birt, Pets and Housing Engagement and Development Officer, who leads on the Pets and Housing Project, said: “I’m really proud of everything that has been achieved over the last year, despite the challenges we have faced as a result of the pandemic, and it has been great to see first-hand how our work has impacted people’s lives.  

“For people facing homelessness, they are more likely to be isolated and detached from society and their pet can be the most loving and consistent relationship they have. We are a nation of dog lovers, and know how pets enrich our lives, so it is vitally important homelessness services recognise the importance of the human animal bond and make changes to their policies, so they provide a service inclusive of pet owners.  

“Thanks to the commitments we have already had by organisations in Scotland to become more pet-friendly, we know our approach is working, but there is more to be done. Thankfully, there is an opportunity for us to roll this project out more widely across the UK and help even more dog owners in need.” 

Hugh Hill, Director of Services and Development at Simon Community Scotland, said: ‘’At the heart of the project was recognising the incredibly positive bond between a dog and their human and the positive difference it made for people at their lowest ebb.

“The impact of Covid-19 has been challenging but what it did do was really highlight the importance of positive, meaningful and loving relationships in all our lives and for the people we support they often only experienced that connection with their dog. Every one of our services is dog-friendly and we will continue to share our approach and resources to any organisation looking to welcome our furry friends.’’ 

A comprehensive report covering the Pets and Housing Project between Dogs Trust and Simon Community Scotland, has been compiled which highlights the progress made over the last year along with findings and recommendations to help ensure that people and their pets can continue to stay together. The full report is available by clicking here.

Dogs Trust will be building on the amazing progress of this project with two new regional roles dedicated to increasing accommodation and support options for dog owners experiencing homelessness and is calling on more homelessness services across Great Britain to adopt a pet-friendly approach. Dogs Trust can support services through their Welcoming Dogs scheme, providing tailored advice and resources on accepting and managing dogs in a safe and responsible way, as well as through the Hope Project veterinary scheme which provides free veterinary treatment.  

For more information about the Hope Project, or to enquire about accessing their support, you can reach the team on 020 7833 7611 or by email hopeproject@dogstrust.org.uk.