Canicross

"Canicross is the sport of running off-road with your dog. The human participant wears a waistbelt which attaches via a 2-metre bungee line to a padded dog harness. It is a fantastic way to keep you and your dog fit whilst enjoying the great outdoors together. It provides a physical workout for your dog and the use of directional commands will help him to learn to use his brain and build up his confidence."

(Canicross Trailrunners)

Running is one of those things that people who want to look like they are exercising do. Lets face it most people that run think it will help them get rid of a bit of fat, they can do it listening to music and its all good. In reality, running is without doubt one of the most boring and hardest things to keep at. There is nothing but you and your mind and your body screaming at you to stop running and just walk or better yet go home and sit down!

However since working at Raystede things really have changed. I met breeds of dogs that I have without a doubt fallen completely in love with. Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes are hard work and personally, unless you want a dog that will make you run I would advise not getting these breeds! They have however taught me to love running, something I will be honest, I never believed even remotely possible! However these dogs haven't just got me running they also have the boyfriend running and we both love it!

Paul running Thor

 I liked the idea of it before Christmas but running while holding a lead, not a good idea! It is a well known fact that these dogs like to run and when you are clinging to the lead with the fear of what might happen if you fall over and let go - it just doesn't work! So I asked for a running belt for Christmas. This meant that I could walk and run the dogs without the fear of dropping the lead!

The belt I have! (Image from Snow Paw Store)

The belt goes round my waste and the lead attaches to the two D-rings using a carabiner (mines huge!). The lead is not any usual lead either, it has a bungee to help reduce any shock either caused by the dog or maybe even me when I suddenly die and stop moving. 

Since Christmas I have spent two days a week running the husky types at the rescue. I have already lost half a stone(!!!!) and the dogs love it! The feeling of being pulled along by these dogs is nothing like I imagined. You move so much quicker and further then you think you are and it's surprising how unfit the dogs can be! 

Paul running Kai

The photos  you may have noticed all have Paul in and there are I believe, none of me in existence running the dogs. This is generally because if Paul is there he likes to run the dogs rather then take photos and I like having photos of my boyfriend and favourite dogs! 

Me with Patch!

The photo above shows me and Patch who is an Akita x. He unlike the huskies isn't a fan of pulling forward all the time, he rather enjoys being Patch and doing what he likes. He is getting better and sometimes he can give the huskies a run for their money! I am working with him though and today we ran about 1 and a half miles together, with breaks for him to go swimming in the lake! I do love him to bits though :)

All together I reckon I ran the 3 dogs about 3/4 miles today, which is a lot for me! They had a mile each and possibly a little extra. Today was the last time I will run Thor as he goes to his new home on Wednesday and fingers crossed they love him and want him forever! So from Friday onwards it will be just me, Patch and Kai. It would be lovely if the boys got on and I could run them together but they hate each other so no luck there :(

Kai needs training though as he might be run at a trailrunner race Tuffman (I think that's what its called!). I won't be running as I would fail like big time though Paul thinks I should train towards it anyway, I suppose it will help with my fitness but running with other people and other dogs? Nah not sure I could do it! Kai on the other hand will hopefully be doing it and he does love a good run. He is a beautiful dog as well and though he has a few handling issues I reckon he will be a great dog one day! Still he can't run a mile without needing to stop and walk! Bless he has never had such a slack lead before! So he needs running some more and though I think the head of kennels will also run him I shall concentrate my running with Kai for now and just continue training Patch obedience and agility for now, just so I don't over kill my body!

Got to be honest - don't see how anyone can like running without a dog! How do those marathon runners do it? They should get dogs...Just saying!

Thor ~ I need a Home!

So it has been a while since I have put this to any sort of use. Mostly because university work, paid work and voluntary work takes up most of my time. Due to the lack of time I figured it was worth putting this blog to good use!
I spend much of my time at Raystede Centre of Animal Welfare in the kennels with the dogs. I love the work and it is very rewarding when you see the dogs come on in training or even when they are rehomed (though this can be hard at times too!)

So this post is dedicated to Thor!

"Hi there I'm Thor, an 18 month old male Husky type who is full of beans and likes to act the clown. I need a competent, confident handler who will be patient and consistent with me. I have just spent the last couple of months in a foster home to improve my training and social skills, which has been great fun! I can now walk on a halti and am also crate trained. I have been living with three other large dogs so could potentially live with another dog if our personalities matched! I am a friendly lad who loves to run. I am not suitable to live with cats or children. Please take a look at my video so see me at my best!"

Thor came into Raystede through another rescue charity. He had been handled badly possibly through 'dominance' training (something I will rant about in another blog entry at some point!). This meant that he would not allow anyone to touch him without mouthing them. This made it a challenge to put his harness on so that he could go outside for walks.

The team spent a lot of time working with him so that he could go out and and the head of kennels started to run him on his x-back harness. He soon learnt that if he wanted to run he needed his harness on and so slowly he allowed us to touch him, then stroke him.

Thor went into a foster home where they were amazing and furthered his training, he takes treats so gently from you and is eager to learn and please though he still holds the husky's way of being head strong and doing what he wants when he wants. He is however lovely and gentle and loves a good tummy rub!

Thor has been doing canicross trailrunning with different runners and sometimes teamed up with other dogs. He has loved it and been excelling, so ideally he would love a home where he can still go running!

I have put this blog entry together just so that some more people may get to see what a wonderful dog he is. I hope that someone out there would love to take him on and enjoy the amazing dog he will be in a home where he can thrive! If you or anyone you know is interested in him then please contact Raystede Centre of Animal Welfare through their website or on 08448751252

Breeding and Stock Management of Degus

This was an assignment that I had to do for uni. I think people should think VERY carefully before buying and especially breeding degus. There are many things that need to be thought about before breeding however there is little information out there to help with the breeding process and so that is why I am posting this online for anyone to read so that the information is at least out there and readable for anyone wanting to breed or has found themselves with pregnant degus.


Introduction

The Octodon degus or degu are small rodents originating from Chile. They were imported into America around 1964 where they have become household pets and important research subjects (Banks, Sharp, Doss & Vanderford, 2010). Since originally being imported their popularity has grown and are now found in many pet shops in the United Kingdom.

This booklet explains the processes needed for breeding to occur successfully and hopefully without any problems.


Choosing The Parents

It is important when choosing degus that the heritage is known and that they are not related. It is common to find inbred animals that can come with diseases and health issues.

A healthy degu should be alert with large, bright, clear eyes, glossy fur, clean ears, clean tail and a clean rear end. There should be no discharge from its nose or laboured breathing as these are signs of a respiratory infection. Wetness around the mouth or lack of interest in food could mean that the teeth are overgrown. The teeth must be orange not white, as white teeth show a sign of vitamin A deficiency. If a degu has any sign of whitening of the eyes such as cataracts then it can be a sign of inbreeding and/or the degu may have developed diabetes (RSPCA, 2012).

Degus normally come in one colour, agouti, however there are genetic mutations around; the most common of these is blue. The mutations seem to have come from Germany and the Netherlands where degus became more popular. Blue degus do not have the brown pigment that the agouti degus have which leaves them with a silvery blue coat. Agouti is the dominant colour for all degus so if blue pups are desired then both parents would need to carry the blue gene so either be blue themselves or have at least one parent that was blue. There have been rumours of black, sand, patched and white degus however there are very few about and it is believed that these degus are highly inbred for their colouring and come with associated health problems (Long, 2011a).

Degus are very social animals and so should always be kept in groups. A lone degu can become very stressed and more susceptible to diseases and infections. Buying a degu for breeding that has been kept on its own is running a risk of having a low immune system along with possible infections being passed on to the mate or any pups they may have (Richardson, 2003).

Managing The Breeding Stock

As previously stated degus are very social animals and in the wild they create a large and elaborate system of networks underground. When kept in captivity it is best to try and allow them the space for their natural behaviours to be shown. Degus should have a large cage with enrichment such as branches (that are non-toxic), nesting areas and wheels (Banks et al, 2010). The size of the cage is under debate but the RSPCA’s (2012) minimum cage specifications ask for a cage to be at least 100cm long x 60cm wide x 60cm high with a solid base to stop the degus getting bumble foot. The cage should either be wooden or metal, as degus will chew their way out of a plastic cage. If the cage is metal then the gaps should be no larger than 1cm or the pups when they arrive will get out.

Once the cage is set up it is possible to start the introductions if the animals have never met before. It is advisable to put a wire mesh barrier in the middle of the cage to separate it into two. This way the degus will be able to sniff and ‘talk’ through the mesh. It is advisable to only have one male being introduced to a group of females so that fighting is avoided. Males can get territorial over females even if they are related. Introducing a male to a group of females should not take too long, though it is important not to rush the introductions. Once they have communicated through the mesh then the degus can meet in a neutral area. A household bath with a sand bath in is ideal, as they cannot escape. While in the bath bedding can be swapped from one side of the cage to the other to assist the degus getting use to the other scents. Once there is no boxing and the degus are happily grooming and the owner is comfortable enough to do so then the mesh can be removed from the cage and the degus can mix (Long, 2011b).

Degus in captivity can breed all year round and are likely to have more than one litter a year. Breeding is most successful when the female is around 4 – 9 months of age though she can breed at almost any age. The males can reach sexual maturity from 8 weeks – 1 year though it averages at 6 months. The female will only ovulate when stimulated by the male’s penis and mating only lasts around 10 seconds. The male will then ‘bark’ to let everyone know that he has successfully mated. At this point it is safe to assume the female is pregnant (Banks et al, 2010).

If you have a male in with a group of females then he will mate with all of them several times. The females are pregnant for roughly 90 days but it is unusual to see any signs of pregnancy until the last few weeks where the female will be more round and it is possible to see the babies moving within her. It is possible for a female to lose a little bit of blood during this time and this is normal but a female can also miscarry so if there is any worry then the female should be taken to the vets. Handling can continue but not as often until the female starts to show then it is advisable to handle her less if at all so that she isn’t stressed. The females will also need nesting materials to build the perfect nest. Their diet can stay the same; it is not unusual for females to eat more during pregnancy and so fresh hay must be given regularly and often (Griffths-Irwin & Davis, 2001).

Degus have been known to have a postpartum estrus, which means they are incredibly fertile straight after giving birth (Lee, 2004). This would mean that the male could possibly impregnate the female straight after she has given birth. To stop this from happening the male should be taken out before the birth of the pups and be left out for at least 24 hours after the birth. Studies have shown that a second litter that soon will be smaller and less numerous then the first and are less likely to grow as well. This can also take its toll on the mother leaving her tired and susceptible to illnesses (Ebensperger, Hurtago & Leon, 2007). The male can be put back in after the 24 hours to help rear the pups.

Managing the Offspring

When the pups are born they will normally be fully furred and have their eyes open. The litter size can vary from 1-8. The pups will start eating food at roughly two weeks though they can be seen trying food before this time so keeping extra hay and a little more food in the cage if preferable so that the parents still have the right amount of food. It is also possible for the pups to be weaned at four weeks though it is advised to keep them with the mother until they are at least 6 – 8 weeks old (Richardson, 2003). The pups can be sexed from an early age and so can be sexed anywhere from the day they are born to 8 weeks.

Degus will nest together during pregnancy so multiple litters are likely to be found in one nest even if supplied with multiple nest boxes (Ebensperger et al 2004). All the adults in the cage will look after the pups; unless there are complications with the mother they can generally be left to rear the pups. It is important to keep the young with the mother(s) for as long as possible to help with their early development. Handling should happen from a young age to help tame the pups however the mother should always be able to see them. Taking the young away too early can lead to differences in behaviour and can cause the pup to have anxiety issues as an adult (Braun, Kremz, Wetzel, Wagner & Poeggel, 2003).

If one of the mothers died, the other mother would bring up the pups. If you only have one mother and she dies then it is important to keep the father in with them, as he will help to keep them warm, if there is no father then keep them wrapped in a towel on top of a hot water bottle or heat pad. It is then important to make sure they are feeding. Degu pups feed every two hours and if there isn’t a female to feed them then kitten or puppy formula will help give the pups the nutrients they need until they can eat for themselves. If you have one mother feeding two litters it is important to keep an eye on the pups as the mother will need help feeding so the pups will also need to be handfed. The formula will need to be warm and fed through a teat pipette straight into the mouth. After feeding the genital region will need to be rubbed gently to help encourage the pup to go toilet. As the pup won’t be getting all the antibodies it would normally get from its mother the nest needs to be kept spotlessly clean. Also due to the pup feeding so regularly the weaning process should start earlier than normal. Offering food such as oats and hay will help encourage the pup to eat. Don’t rush the weaning process, just offer hard food and slowly increase the time between feeding the formula. Weighing the pups daily will help give the best indication on how they are doing (Long, 2004-2011c).

Other then keeping the cage clean and making sure the pups have enrichment such as logs to climb on and a safe wheel they can be left to themselves. Degus are amazing parents and generally don’t need any help bringing up their pups

Breeding and Stock Management of Degus

References

Banks, R.E. Sharp, J.M. Doss, S.D & Vanderford D.A. (2010) Exotic Small Mammal Care and Husbandry. Iowa: Wiley-Blackwell. 12. Pg, 137-141

Braun, K., Kremz, P., Wetzel, W., Wagner, T. and Poeggel, G. (2003) Influence of parental deprivation on the behavioral development in Octodon degus: Modulation by maternal vocalizations. Developmental Psychobiology, 42 (3). Pg 237–245

Carroll, R. (2011) Argentinian polo readies itself for attack of the clones. [Online] < http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/05/argentinian-polo-clones-player> [Accessed: 05/03/12]

Center For Genetics And Society. (2011) Animal and Pet Cloning Opinion Polls. [Online] [Accessed: 06/03/12]

Ebensperger, L. Hurtado, M & Leon, C. (2007) An experimental examination of the consequences of communcal verses solitary breeding on maternal condition and the early postnatal growth and survival of degu (Octodon degus) pups. Animal Behaviour, 73. Pg 185-194

Ebensperger, L. Hurtado, M. Soto-Gamboa, M. Lacey,E & Chang, A. (2004) Communal nesting and kinship in degus (Octodon degu). Naturwissenschaften, 91 (8). Pg 391-395

Greely, H.T. (1998) Legal, Ethical, and Social Issues in Human Genome Research. Annual Review of Antrhopology. 27. Pg 473-502


Griffths-Irwin, D & Davis, J. (2001) How to care for your Degu. England: Kingdom Books

Judson, O & Coren, G. (2007) Animal Farm. Channel 4. [Online]
[Accessed: 05/03/12]

Lee, T.M. (2004) Octodon degus: A Diurnal, Social, and Long-lived Rodent. ILAR Journal, 45 (1). pg 14-21.

Long, C.V. (2004-2011a) Degutopia Degu Information: Colour Varieties. [Online]
[Accessed: 17/02/12]

Long, C.V. (2004 – 2011b) Degutopia Degu Information: Intorducing Degus.
[Online] [Accessed: 17/02/12]

Long, C.V. (2004 – 2011c) Degutopia Degu Information: Handrearing pups.
[Online]< http://www.degutopia.co.uk/deguhandr.htm> [Accessed: 05/03/12]

Nishi, M & Steiner, D. (1990) Cloning of complementary DNAs encoding islet amyloid polypeptide, insulin, and glucagon precursors from a New World rodent, the degu, Octodon degus. Molecular Endocrinology, 4 (8). Pg 1192-1198

Richardson, V.C.G. (2003) Diseases of Small Domestic Rodents. 2nd edn. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

RSPCA. (2012) Degu. Exotic Pets. [Online]
[Accessed: 17/02/12]

Cage Substrates

I have been doing a lot of research over the years into bedding for my degus. I have had to spend so much money on them just trying to find a substrate that is cheap, easy to use, doesn't need cleaning every day because it smells so much and isn't kicked out the cage constantly! This has meant that I now use Finacard, it comes in a huge bag and I get some bedding with it which is just shredded tissue paper like stuff. Only costs £18 and lasts forever, you don't even need to use much to fill up my cage and the degus love it. However I have seen a few people doing this and as I have had to come up with a table for a uni project I decided to share my thoughts on different substrates and I hope you find it useful:

Newspaper/ shredded paper
Easy to clean, cheap, can make a good bedding
Ink could cause health problems, will be chewed to shreds, doesn’t last very long, can be very messy

Finacard (shredded cardboard)
Look good, easy to clean, doesn’t make much mess, comes in a large bale so lasts a long time, cheap, not dusty, can still be kicked about but too big to be kicked out of cage
Not as easy to forage in as some beddings

Megazorb

Is brilliant at absorbing liquids, retains smells, looks good, cheap
Very light and easily kicked out of the cage, has a strange odour to it.

Wood Shavings
Looks good, cheap, retains liquid well
Dusty, easily kicked out of cage, smells very quickly

Pellets
Retains liquid, cheap
Can cause bumblefoot as it’s hard on the degus feet. Can also cause stomach issues if ingested. Please never use pellets as a substrate, its not good for any animals, keep it in a litter tray!

Carefresh
Soft, absorbent, doesn’t smell very much
Expensive and can be dusty, can also be easily kicked out of the cage.

The media and dogs

There is a lot going on about dogs at the moment. Things are slowly (very slowly) moving through the house of commons and lords about dangerous dogs. Hopefully it will go through about the BSL as well but with how slowly anything to do with dogs goes through I wouldn't be surprised if ten years down the line we are still waiting for them to make decision. Not only the dangerous dogs but pedigree dogs are being shown as bad and unhealthy and then we have the puppy farms, where all those dogs are being kept in cramp conditions and being made to breed. Remind you of anything? Ah yes, battery farms.

I am going to give my opinion on each of these three points over a period of time. Today the rant is about breed specific legislation (BSL).

BSL and the dangerous dogs act. I learnt as much as I could about this when I heard of Lennox. Lennox is a cross breed that was seized for being a pit bull. He is one of many dogs seized and then measured and tested to see whether or not he is a pit bull type. Death Row Dogs was shown last night (24/1/12) at around half ten so I wonder just how many viewers it got. The show was suppose to show how bad these illegal breeds has got and I was all ready to get angry and hate the program but I was in a way surprised. The show did one thing very well, it showed you that the laws in this country are complete failures. There was a dog, a beautiful young male who had been condemned to death for being a 'pit bull type' dog. He was happy, playful, friendly and he was put down because his owner was banned from having dogs. That was the only reason because part of the law states that pit bull type dogs cannot be rehomed. A dog as playful as he was would have found a home but instead they showed you him getting put to sleep, a life wasted. I found it hard to be angry with the women who 'owned' the dog because though she may have been found guilty of cruelty to animals (she hadn't walked this dog or let him out) she talked sense. She said that actually any breed could turn suddenly, they are dogs. How many times do you hear about cats attacking kids? I have a scar on my arm that I have now had for at least 5 years and is still as clear now as it was then and that I got from my cat. I was lucky the scratch didn't need stitches. I have been working at a cattery recently and the guy who owns it was bitten by one of the cats that tried to escape. His had was so swollen he couldn't use it at all but again how many times do you hear of cats hurting children? Though I don't have facts on it I am willing to bet just as many if not more children are hurt via scratches and bites by cats then they are by dogs. I will agree I haven't heard of many cats killing children but I have seen a few cats that probably wished they could.

There is a lot surrounding animals that makes them 'dangerous' and it isn't always their breed! My old dog Patch was my baby. I got him at four months old and we rescued him. He was a border collie cross, was found at a station in wales. That was all the information we were given. We took him home and he was puppy like, chewed everything, playful, everything you would expect, until we got his brush out and then he turned, just like that. The same happened with the hoover, diesel landrovers, and other random things. We soon pieced together a story of the first four months of his life. He was a farm dog, we knew that pretty quick along with his fear of diesel landrovers - and it was only diesel ones! We also guessed he had been beaten from how he cowered and snarled if you got the brush out. He also didn't like loud noises. It took years to get him settled with us properly so that he didn't cower all the time, we let him meet other dogs and socalised him like you would a normal puppy. As he grew he suddenly attacked another dog, a female puppy. This was completely out of the blue but he got out the house, ran over the road and attacked her. I will not believe till this day that it was completely unprovoked but something changed in him that day and he would attack any dog that came near him. We did socalise him with my boyfriends dog in the end but any other dogs, he would still go for them and on occasions he would go for people. He did it because he was afraid, something in those first four months ruined a lot of his life however he lived his life till he was 14. Why am I saying all this because if you look at it, he was a badly behaved dog. We didn't muzzle him when we took him out because I knew what to expect and explained to other owners to keep their dogs away - of course there are always the reckless owners that are like 'oh but my dog loves dogs' and completely ignores you when you say that yours doesn't. Generally though Patch was a safe dog when I had him but he would turn and he would turn badly. He was really when you look back a dog that would have been seized if he had looked different.

Isn't it stupid when you think about it? That granted my dog was under control, I knew him well enough to know if he was going to attack but actually in someone else's hands he could have been a dangerous dog but it would have taken longer for him to be picked up, if he were ever picked up because he was obviously a collie. In fact it's known that collies can be aggressive because of their energy and if they aren't given enough enrichment or are treated badly they can pick up aggressive traits quite quickly but how many do you hear of mauling kids? How many labs do hear about killing kids? Did you know most dog bites in the home are from labs? Those big soppy dogs are heavy and strong and are still dogs. The whole legislation is stupid and maybe it is needed that someone will just light a small fire under the MP's seats so they can get a move on with passing a new law to change the stupid one we have!

Also maybe one day someone in the media will realise what dogs are and that actually no matter what the breed they can attack and it will be presented that way. Instead of hearing "boy mauled by Staffordshire bull terrier" or a recent one around here was "baby killed by pet Akita". Maybe the media could do a tv program on children and pets. Make people realise that leaving your child alone with your dog is asking for trouble, in fact leaving a young child and any pet could mean that your child ends up seriously hurt. There are some lessons people need to learn and the media could do so much but instead it likes those juicy stories and oh how it loves to help spread fear. A kent newspaper recently had a 'ship a dog' campaign to help get rid of illegal or dangerous dogs. The whole article was about staffordshire bull terriers. Maybe they should have just watched the video below.

The reality of life

I haven't posted on here for what seems like an age but I found myself needing to get this out after reading a few things which disturbed me greatly. Possibly not for the reasons you might expect.

Firstly there is a group on facebook about some Shire horses Hope's Cause. The story is heart wrenching and it is easy to see and understand why this group is now furious with the RSPCA. I am not part of the RSPCA nor do I know how and why they do what they do but I have a theory which I will outline later.

From this group though I found another where they are trying to take the RSPCA to court saying that they aren't doing their job and from that I found this special link. Now I have an issue with this blog, a huge one. Firstly it seems most of their 'evidence' has been taken from newspapers and everyone is more then aware that you shouldn't believe everything you read. Secondly they don't seem to know much about running a business which the RSPCA is, they might be a charity but they run like a business, they have to being as big as they are.

Now I might be seen as a big bad wolf here and I don't want to be but from my course and the business module and my boyfriend doing an advertising course I have learnt a lot about how to survive and how to make money. It's not easy and you have to be ruthless.

Now, these people are moaning about the RSPCA, how they aren't helping those horses or how they are being 'too rough' or other things. Have they stopped and taken note of how many inspectors there are in the RSPCA? Notice that actually there is a really small amount compared to the size of the country, ??? inspectors for the whole country really isn't a lot.

Now don't get me wrong, I think the RSPCA should have done more about those horses, however I can think of several reasons as to why they haven't and most of it is wrapped up in legislation.

The problem is with the horse case in particular is the fact that each time the RSPCA ask the owner to do something, he is in fact doing what they ask. Now I don't know if the RSPCA are aware that all he does is move the horses and leave them to die, if they are then yes they should have done something about this earlier, if they have 'heard' but have no proof then again I see why they haven't. Now I am aware that an RSPCA inspector can not just go in and take an animal away. The owners have to have warnings and time to change things, which can lead to more warnings. I believe from what I have learnt that it is rare they can just seize an animal as there are laws around doing so.

If this is the case then I think people should be more understanding. The RSPCA are expected to do a lot and aren't that big of an organisation, not when it comes to it and really for everyone who wants to see them shut down, what happens then?

What would have happened to all of my cats and our old dog if the RSPCA hadn't been about? We got them from the RSPCA shelter near here, like many people do each year. What happens to them?

People are calling for the RSPCA to be closed down/to sue them... but in all honesty is that helping at all? Does it really matter that much to sue them over money when that money you are sueing them with you could then go and help animals with? Yes they may possibly be slightly corrupt, what large organisation isn't but they do help animals. They rehome thousands of animals each year and it is a known fact that there are a shortage of good, healthy, safe rescue centres around so you take the RSPCA out, what happens then?

I can understand peoples anger at what the RSPCA may or may not have done but in the end sometimes the larger picture needs to be looked at. I am certain, in fact I know that the RSPCA spend a lot of money on advertising, I also know that the Dogs Trust do the same and I know both societies help a lot of animals. They also pay people to work with them, to carry out research, to work in shelters, work as inspectors, work as fundraisers. In fact a lot of money has to go back into the charity before the animals can be helped. How many rescue centres that don't advertise/don't have a website/don't have helpers survive? You have to put the money into the centre before you can help the animals, it's just a fact. For a centre to grow it needs the money put in and really the RSPCA just do that, yes they probably put too much money in some areas and not enough in others, as do the NSPCC and OXFAM are well known for it but how many people are suing them and trying to close them down? Sometimes you need to think about what would happen if they weren't there.

The RSPCA might not be perfect. No one and nothing is, however causing them trouble, taking them to court, trying to use the media to make them look bad hinders them even more and would you like it on your head to know that you stopped them saving that dog from a life fighting? Or closing down that puppy farm? It's something people need to think about.

I want to work for the RSPCA because it's a position where I know I can help animals. I know that in that position I can help animals I also know that in that position I will come across animals I can't help. It's just a fact of life, no one can help everyone.

As for those horses, I do agree the RSPCA should do something, however no where does it say they have contacted other welfare agencies such as the World Horse Welfare (previously the ILPH). If they have then good, if not then maybe they have neglected all options as well?

I am assuming a lot writing this, i don't know the facts completely but it angers me that people who want to see justice for animals want a charity that helps so many animals a year closed down. It isn't logical and it doesn't make sense and thats why it annoys me so much.

Pet Shops - Should they sell animals?

This blog entry is also a letter that I am emailing out to various groups - to find out the opinions and whether there is anything that can be done to help the animals that end up in these pet shops where you can often find people who don't know what they are talking about when it comes to individual animals.

Each pet shop that sells animals are different with the people who work in them and their knowledge of the animals but generally the cages they are kept in even though they are 'temporary' are just too small for the animals that live in them. Also keeping animals in cages this small is telling the public that they can do the same.

I have thought for years that the animals have been kept in small cages but until I first got my degu's I never realised quite how small the cages are kept in.

Using Pets at Home as an example - I have adopted two degu's from them and bought two degus before mostly because I couldn't bear the thought of them living in those small cages. I have on both occasions been able to sex them and know more about them then the people selling them to me. In fact when I bought Arthur and Merlin I sexed them both as the shop assistant didn't seem to know how to. After speaking to other people it seems that Pets at Home are too good at sexing animals wrong from the small ones like degus and rats up to rabbits. This of course ends up leaving the customers with pregnant animals and then Pets at Home get the babies back to sell. I got two girls from them and I can say they warned me at this particular branch that the girls were pregnant and that I could take any babies back and they would sell them on. I adopted the girls because they cage they were in would have given them bumble foot and there was no way I was taking the babies back to that shop. As it were both females were pregnant - one had six babies the other had three and I have kept them all.

I have been in a couple of pet shops that have sold kittens. I have issues with pet shops selling small animals but kittens are something else. Both pet shops around the Brighton-Lewes area I have been in had kittens (up to four) in small cages that they were keeping the guinea pigs in. They didn't have room to move about and I left the shops horrified. Of course all the kittens had sold very quickly and I didn't know what to do about it anyway.

I feel the animals bred and kept in pet shops are the animals that are being looked over most of the time. There doesn't seem to be any way of helping them. I have contacted my local MP who has passed my concerns onto the animal welfare minister but I don't hold much hope there. I know there is a lot about to stop puppy farming because of the breeding and there being so many dogs - shouldn't the same be happening for the smaller animals that are harder to neuter and so pregnancies are more likely to happen. It seems where pet shops can't house or sex animals properly they shouldn't be sold at all.

Would it be right to ban all pet stores from selling animals? Most likely. There are enough of these small animals in rescue centers already that don't get homed because people but their small animals from pet shops. If animals are to be sold in pet shops there should be tighter regulations regarding both the sexing and housing of the animals.