Thank You To Animal Rights Groups

I was in my local town today and met two wonderful women and one wonderful man trying to get signatures for two petitions. They were campaigning for animal rights and, when I was there, they were getting a favourable response. However, on speaking to one of the ladies behind the table I soon found that they had been called "no better than Nazis" just before I got there. I found this absolutely disgusting given that they were only trying to stand up for what they believe in and make a difference in the lives of animals everywhere.

So, for the rest of us that do want to make a difference, thank you to them and all of the others that take their time to stand around in all weathers trying to garner awareness of the things we do not see or hear about all over the world.

I was really pleased to find that they actually had a flyer about stopping the greyhound slaughter on their table. It was printed by Greyhound Action and I will be having a good read of it a little later and blogging about it, along with all of the other leaflets I picked up! Keep on going guys - we're making a difference already!

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They were from the Tamworth Animal Rights Network, or TARN. The link there is their MySpace page. Please visit it and support their efforts to save animals.

Action For Greyhounds UK

Many people around the world do absolutely anything they can to help save these beautiful creatures that we know and love. The greyhound and its plight has captured the imagination and attention of millions, and many of us have come to dedicate our lives to the welfare of greyhounds. However, one lady has taken that maxim even further over the past few years.

Annie, the founder of Action for Greyhounds UK, has recently completed a skydive to raise awareness and encourage people to save greyhounds... and you can see her! The video is now on YouTube.

But you don't need to go to YouTube to watch it when you can watch it right here! Enjoy!

Comfort And Fun: Halloween Costumes For Your Greyhound

Around this time last year I started writing a blog entry that I didn't finish, purely and simply because I ran out of time. Halloween is quickly approaching and we all know that it is an incredibly difficult time for some pet greyhounds. Those that have previously raced and been rescued should be made to feel like part of the family and should be comfortable at all times. However, some owners insist on dressing them up to the eyeballs for Halloween. There is nothing wrong with buying pet costumes to celebrate certain times of the year for your greyhound but it is important to bear in mind that there are certain guidelines that you should follow.

Firstly, if you do want to choose Halloween costumes for your greyhound then remember that full body costumes will undoubtedly make them feel uncomfortable. I do not like them at all on greyhounds because many will cause nerves and a lot of discomfort. However, greyhounds should be wearing a coat when they set foot outside in the fall and winter as a result of their human-like ability to feel cold through their short natural coats. Why not choose a Halloween themed coat instead? This will ensure that they stay warm without causing upset. There are some gorgeous Halloween greyhound coats out there to choose from. Alternatively, decorative collars are the perfect choice for greyhounds because they provide a little colour without upsetting your dog too much and allow him or her to join in the festivities.

Secondly, go for a professionally made costume instead of a home made one for your greyhound. The reason behind this is that professional ones are designed to fit dogs perfectly and will have all of the necessary seams and padding. Any you choose to make may not and thus may restric the comfort and movement of your greyhound. They may look cute but that does not mean they are happy!

Finally, make sure that you get your greyhound used to the costume before leaving it on for more than thirty minutes or so because this gies your greyhound a chance to get used to the outfit and will not prove as stressful a little later on. No costume, including novelty coats or collars, should be left on for more than a couple of hours. Would you like to be dressed as a pumpkin for upwards of three hours? No, and the same applies for your hound. Moderation is the key.

The reason why I started ths post last year was because I saw a greyhound that is owned by a man in my village paraded around as a pumpkin. As ridiculous as that may sound, it is true. The poor sweetheart was obviously uncomfortable because the costume was incredibly large and very poorly fitted... and yet I saw him wearing it for a good few hours. I just wanted to mention it because there are ways and means of encouraging your pet's comfort whilst celebrating Halloween and there are plenty of tasteful costumes out there for greyhounds and other breeds alike so be responsible and fun can be had by all, including your dog.

Stamps Appeal For Italian Greyhound Rescue

I was recently contacted by a friend who is looking for help in fundraising for the Italian Greyhound Rescue here in the UK. She is currently collecting used postage stamps in a bid to raise money to help them rescue and rehome mistreated and abused Italian Greyhounds all over the country. It is a registered charity (1104157) and has helped countless Italian Greyhounds in the past. Hopefully we can enable them to continue doing so.

If you do want to contribute used postage stamps from anywhere in the world, not just the UK, then please drop me a line and I can tell you where to send them to help my friend out. She needs a little paper left on the stamps so the edges aren't damaged at all, but any and all contributions will be welcomed.

Thanks all. It only takes a couple of minutes to take stamps off envelopes and you can be making a difference in some of these gorgeous dogs' lives.

Pedigree Dogs: The Horror Behind Breeding

I watched one of the most disturbing programs on TV last night. I don't usually watch TV because I'm usually busy working or catching up on the other stuff we all need to do to keep a household going and a roof above our heads. However, I found a story on the BBC website about it and decided to watch. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was one of the worst TV documentaries about the treatment of animals I ever watched.

The program dealt with the inbreeding of pedigree dogs and the horrific genetic effects they have on various breeds. It makes breeders look incredibly cruel and unbelievably blinkered in their views. They can't seem to see what they are doing to their dogs.

Now before I go any further, please note that I fully realise that not all breeders are the same and some realise the damage that inbreeding is doing to those dogs. They are the ones that do not inbreed and have their dogs fully checked out regularly. Some have stopped showing their dogs in protest. However, those that this story does apply to make me sick. Boxers with severe epilespy were still being used to breed from so their pups would also have that genetic trait. King Charles Spaniels had brains that were too big for their skulls and were in agony and yet were still used for breeding. When you look at pictures of the breeds today and compare them with some from the 1800s, it really becomes apparent that we are cosmetically changing them for the worse and enough is enough.

One fact that struck a chord was the Rhodesian Ridgeback - the breeders society in the UK advocated culling pups that were born without ridges at birth until recently.

I have done research on it today, extensive research (for those who will comment saying I have no idea what I am talking about) and I find practices thoroughly disgusting. However, don't just take my word for it. The BBC story can be found behind that link.

Update: How You Can Help The Fight Against Live Skinning

Just a quick follow up to the post I added yesterday about live animal skinning in China...

If you were as disturbed as I was about the live skinning of cats and dogs and unimaginable animal cruelty in China then you can now help lend your voice to the fight against such barbaric acts in another way. Of course there is the petition but if you are a member of the social networking site Facebook then you can also add your voice to the cause that has been set up against it on there.

The link to the cause is here: Stop Live Animal Skinning. I am fully backing this cause, along with my Stop The Greyhound Slaughter cause.

Please spread the message. oin if you are on Facebook but if you are not then please forward this to people that are members so they can add their voices. We need to do something now to stop this barbaric animal cruelty. There is no excuse for it so add your voice to the outrage today.

Help To Stop The Live Skinning Of Animals In China!!!

With the Olympics on the horizon in the very near future, China has come under scrutiny from various different angles. If it isn't the smog and air pollution then it's the human rights issues. However, I want to draw attention to something else. i want to draw attention to the barbaric treatment of animals.

Now any greyhound lover that has looked into the slaughter of greyhounds in Asia will probably know that greyhounds are skinned and eaten there. This may be horrifying but it is completely true. However, at least the greyhounds are dead before they do that. This may not sound like a plus point at all, but it is when you consider this next fact.

Did you know that 2 million, yes 2,000,000 cats and dogs are skinned alive for their fur every year. They then die in the most horrific way because they are not put out of their misery. They are instead left to die.

There is a petition that you can sign on the Care2 site. This is the direct link. Please please sign it as they are looking for 2 million signatures, one for every cat and dog treated in this barbaric way.

We must put a stop to it now!!! After all, could you imagine the two gorgeous creatures below with no fur? No? Neither could I. This brutality has to be stopped now so please support it... for the sake of all of our furry friends.