Bits for Pets Blog

Staff at Chester Zoo are celebrating the arrival of three tiny additions which are set to continue their work to save a species from extinction.

Three Egyptian tortoises, each smaller than a raspberry, were hatched at the zoo in the last few days.

Kevin Buley, head of lower vertebrates and invertebrates, said the survival of the species depended on breeding programmes at zoos across the world.

The Egyptian Tortoise is critically endangered in the wild.

“Our tortoises might well be tiny at the moment but what they currently lack in size, they make up for in importance,” said Mr Buley.

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Animal rescue groups in Devon and Cornwall are desperately trying to find good homes for a large number of lurcher dogs.

The RSPCA at St Columb in Cornwall and the Blue Cross animal centre near Tiverton in Devon have been inundated with the animals.

The Tiverton adoption centre says it is unusual to have so many of the breed in at once.

All the animals to be re-homed have been microchipped, neutered and vaccinated.

Five of the seven dogs at St Columb are six-month-old siblings who have been looked after at the RSPCA centre since they were brought in when they were about 14 weeks.

The puppies, named Heinz, Henry, Champ, Nelson and Flo were emaciated and suffering from skin mange.

Supervisor Claire Martin said it was touch and go whether they could be saved, but they have fully recovered.

“We are looking to re-home them individually or to live with other dogs”, Ms Martin said.

“They will need patient owners who are committed to giving them the best attention they need and further training.”

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A shoal of fat fish have been put on a strict diet to stop them eating themselves to death.

Piranhas at Birmingham Sea Life are being fed half-portions after they put on loads of weight in just a month.

Keeper Lynsey Thompson said: “Each mealtime has turned into a frantic feeding frenzy as they fight for meaty chunks of trout, prawns and mussels.”

Wild piranhas can go for weeks without eating and these fish will be closely monitored while they slim down.

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Owners of noisy dogs are being offered a free lesson to help them to understand the language of barking.

Peterborough City Council is offering the session on 22 May in an effort to cut complaints about barking dogs.

Owners will be taught tricks and techniques to help understand exactly what their dog wants, with a vet and a dog behaviourist on hand.

Of the average 1,365 noise complaints to the council each year, 15% concern barking dogs.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has identified 10 different ways a dog barks and nine reasons why they do this.

The council’s pollution control office, Laura Bradley, said: “When dogs are left on their own they can often bark for hours at a time.

“The event will include advice from a dog behaviourist, a vet and a head nurse, who will explain why dogs bark, what they are saying and how to stop the problem.”

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Dawn Ravenhill gazes lovingly across at her Siberian husky dogs lazing idly in the sun, before recounting a list of their achievements.

“They’ve destroyed library books and the television remote control,” she said. “They’ve stripped the wallpaper from the hall twice and we had to redecorate twice.

“They’ve eaten shoes. They’ve dug up the garden. And oh, you can’t trust them at all with food.”

Given this litany of crimes, it seems madness to have anything to do with such destructive animals, let alone live alongside them day to day.
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Yet, in spite of their faults, this is precisely what Dawn and partner Richard Sanders, who live in Gander Green Lane, have done by owning not one but four of the wolf-like creatures.

Indeed they are held in such affection by their owners that Dawn and Richard have transformed their lives even considering moving to Scotland to give the dogs more room to revolve around their pets.

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OUR pets are more pampered then our partners, according to a recent survey by Swindon pet-sitters Paw Pals.

The study, designed to explore the bond between pets and their owners, found that more than 80 per cent of pet-owners in the town admit to giving more fuss and attention to their animals then to their partners or children.

Of more than 250 respondents, 10 per cent had even made provisions for their pets in their will.

The Pampered Pets Survey ran throughout March, in conjunction with Hair of the Dog Salon and Shaw Veterinary Clinic, to celebrate National Pet Week form April 29.

The results of the study also showed that cats are the perfect pets with almost half of all those who took part owning one or two of the feline friends.

Dogs proved the second most popular with 36 per cent and rabbits came in third at 16 per cent.

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It is a traditional sport that tends to conjure up images of old men in cloth hats wandering the fells making the hillsides ring to the shrieks of their whistles.

But now sheepdog trials is making inroads into flatter terrain as two women launch their own answer to one man and his dog – in the Fens.

Sarah Jenkins and Claire Neal have set-up what is believed to be East Anglia’s first sheepdog school – complete with sheep – at Wormegay, near King’s Lynn.

Spurred on by the success of the BBC programme of the same name and the demise of foxhunting, it appears a new wave of canine-lovers are buying border collies to try out this most traditional of sports for themselves.

“The industry has moved on as people have more leisure time and realise there is access to land where they can train regularly,” said Ms Jenkins.

“People want to know more about sheep dogs, there is this whole heritage attraction to it.

“We are talking about a dog that knows more about sheep than we are ever going to know.”

Ms Jenkins, who has represented England at sheepdog trials and judges in events at home and abroad, works sheep with apparent ease.

Whistling vigorously as her dog Flynn scampers across the field, she insists anyone can learn the art and improve their dog’s behaviour beyond measure.

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Dogs and cats can be so cute.

How can anyone resist those big eyes and all that love and attention?

But there’s more to owning a pet than many people realize. People must take many things into consideration before taking on the responsibility of owning a pet.
Perhaps the pet you have in mind is not the perfect fit for your lifestyle.

Jamie Caldwell, executive director of Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter, Chambersburg, advises perspective pet owners to consider their lifestyle, needs and desires before jumping into a situation that may be wrong for them.

“It’s best to research the type of dog that fits your lifestyle,” Caldwell said, adding that people come into the shelter and tell the workers about their lifestyle and the kind of animals they are looking for.

When considering the type of dog, Caldwell said there are advantages to selecting one that is a mixed breed. They usually have less health problems.

Small dogs are good for elderly people, those living in a small apartment and owners who like to pamper their dogs.

Large dogs are good for walking, hiking, hunting and energetic people.

German shepherds, Labrador mixes and Jack Russell terriers are good for high-energy homes.

Those who work all day and can’t come home to take their dog out should get a pet sitter, take the dog to doggie day care or get a cat, Caldwell says.

Adult dogs are easier because they’re over the puppy stage, Caldwell said. Puppies and kittens require more attention and puppies have more housebreaking issues.

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