Taily Mail - Spring/Summer 2021

Spring/Summer 2021

Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home

Taily Mail

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What's New?

Virtual Education Workshops - Available Now!

ANIMAL WELFARE DURING THE PANDEMIC SEE PAGES 6-7

EDITOR’S NOTES

Welcome

Hello fur-iends, welcome to the Spring-Summer 2021 issue of Taily Mail! As the weather is getting warmer, I just cannot wait to be dipping my paws into the doggy paddling pool, ahhh.

Anyway, in this issue you’ll read about our brand new education website and virtual lunch and learn sessions with Daniel Tipping, the Home’s Education Officer. We also have an update from ‘Marc The Vet’ who talks us through the challenges that animal welfare has been faced with during the pandemic.

Don’t forget to also check out our brand new online shop where you’ll find all your dog and cat themed (and personalised!) merchandise in support of the animals in our care.

Ohh and finally, I would like to highlight our ‘Paws Pantry’ foodbank which has expanded greatly over the last few months. Here you’ll find out where to locate your local foodbank!

Stay safe folks!

Ziggy If you would prefer to receive a digital copy of our Taily Mail please get in touch at info@edch.org.uk

You can find more pupdates on Instagram by following edindogcathome Thank you! edch.org.uk

Mother

Maya

Maya arrived at the Home in October 2020 with her five young kittens. Upon arrival she was very nervous and a naturally protective mother but eventually she knew that she was in the safe hands of our cattery team.

Since being with Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, her kittens have all found their perfect matches and we have been happy to see them off to their forever homes, now Maya is just waiting for a loving home for herself. She is a playful young cat with a sociable nature and loves posing for a photo and playing with her cat friends here at the Home.

Maya is a very elegant lady and deserves all the love she can get.

To find out more about Maya, you can fill out a rehoming form online at edch.org.uk/pet-profile/maya or call us on 0131 669 5331.

To make a donation to help cats like Maya text MAYA to 70450 to donate £5 Texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message and you’ll be opting in to hear more about our work and fundraising via telephone and SMS. If you’d like to give £5 but do not wish to receive marketing communications, text MAYANOINFO to 70450.

It’s very cosy in here!

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What's New? As with most things in life, our education outreach programme has had to – and continues to – adapt to the ever-changing world we find ourselves in.

With indoor meetings off the table and group sizes reduced, our face-to-face workshops were no longer an option through much of 2020 and even still today. But at a time when hardships were being faced all around us and pet ownership was seemingly booming, getting out messages about the importance of responsible pet ownership seemed as crucial as ever - so we began to devise a new method of delivery.

Lunch and Learn In addition to our website, we have continued to deliver workshops face-to-face over the likes of Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Working with our Corporate Engagement and Events Coordinator, our virtual lunch and learn sessions for workplaces have been a very popular addition to our education programme over the winter.

To learn more about our education programme or to enquire about a workshop for your school, group or workplace, contact education@edch.org.uk.

New Website Launched in February, a new website designed by our education team gives young people access to three of our popular workshops from any device, at any time and in any place.

These online workshops offer an opportunity to learn more about caring for pets and the work we do, as well as to enjoy a virtual tour of the Home.

Education Update

Check out Lunch and Learn!

Paws Pantry Over the past 18 months, our team have been regularly receiving heart-breaking enquiries from members of the public, many struggling to choose between feeding themselves or their pets. The Home takes in hundreds of dogs and cats in need of a second chance however, there are times where some of these animals are coming from loving families who can no longer afford their care.

We established our own dedicated Paws Pantry pet foodbank in October 2019 so that we can help keep some of those much-loved dogs and cats with their loved ones while continuing to support those in need.

In the past six months, we have expanded our Paws Pantry resources and have partnered with 38 organisations and charities across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders and in doing so supported over 2,000 pets and their owners. We expect this to continue to grow and are working hard to ensure this is sustainable going forward.

With times being very difficult at the moment we want to do all we can to ensure dogs and cats can remain in loving homes through Paws Pantry.

To find out more about Paws Pantry and check out our current locations,

visit: edch.org.uk/pet-foodbank

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Animal Welfare During A Pandemic With ‘Marc The Vet’ explore what the effect the In this issue, we were keen to the welfare in Scotland and across pandemic has had on animal ion mp Cha l the Home’s Anima UK. To find out, we interviewed rc animal welfare campaigner Ma Ambassador, celebrity vet and lessly for many years for Lucy’s Abraham, who campaigned tire l be ect in England last year and wil Law. Lucy’s Law came into eff n tio isla tember 2021. This new leg introduced in Scotland in Sep a ens can no longer be sold by will mean that puppies and kitt third-party seller. of the number of

media wide-spread reports Q. We are seeing in thecha sing, and sed during the pandemic increa

kittens and puppies pur this will have and. What impact do you think supply of pets not meeting dem le? d and the UK as a who on animal welfare in the Scotlan al ent is incredibly detrimental to anim The supply and demand argum will re the ns that meets demand mea welfare, because to have a supply kittens, since buying a pet involves and inevitably be a surplus of puppies e lus of pets, you are going to hav choice. As soon as you have a surp a pet we for king animal welfare. When loo abandonment and compromised research, gh rou tho ting, being patient, doing need to develop a culture of wai ting dogs trea n tha er (welfare standards), rath and prioritising what’s important and dem and is exactly what the supply and cats like commodities, which argument is. ten worse ming in the UK and has this got How big a problem is puppy far ng to doi nts me the Scottish and UK Govern during the pandemic? What are stop this? r in the UK because there are fou Puppy farming is still a problem For . tion their animal welfare legisla nations, all at different stages with farms, and as Ireland there are a lot of puppy example, in Wales and Northern ty dealing of par ct in these countries yet, third Lucy’s Law hasn’t come into effe introduced, g going on. With Lucy’s Law bein puppies and kittens is still widely oming much bec ountable, and the public are all breeders will finally be held acc for when buying a pet. more aware of what to look out

A.

Q.

A.

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Q. We have also seen reports of increasing numbers of puppies, kittens, and

younger animals being sold online or surrendered to rescue centres over the past six months, with new owners no longer able to care for their pets. What are the risks of selling your pet online if you are no longer able to meet its needs?

A. You have to sympathise with people who have spent a lot of money to buy a

puppy or kitten, where it hasn’t genuinely worked out, looking to sell online to reclaim some of their money back, especially during the current climate. However, selling your pet online is not ideal by any means as you really don’t know who your pet is going to and if it will be well cared for. I would recommend that a dog or cat is rehomed by a reputable rescue centre.

Q. What advice would you give people thinking about rehoming or buying a

pet? How are members of the public able to tell if they are buying their puppy or kitten from a responsible source?

A. Think very carefully, be patient, and you can never do enough research. Always

consider rescuing a pet first, you might be surprised by the dogs and cats available and you can also often find puppies and kittens in rescue too.

Golden rules when buying a puppy or kitten are: always see the puppy or kitten interacting with its mum in the place it was born, there should be no excuse why the mum isn’t present. Do lots of research on the breeder and ask lots of questions. If you do suspect something suspicious it is always vital to gather evidence and report your concerns to the authorities, whether you decide to purchase the pet or walk away.

Q. Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers?

A. I think if people have any concerns with current animal welfare law, the best

thing they can do is proactively contact their local politician, for example their MSP in Scotland, and start a polite and respectful dialogue with them. You might find the situation changes a lot quicker as you’ll now be part of the solution, campaigning for better animal welfare standards. There are many different ways of helping effect change, whether it’s signing a petition or just sharing useful information on social media.

Liv

ely

Lola

Lola came to the Home on Christmas Eve at only 6 months old, after her owners who bought her as a puppy during the restrictions found that they couldn’t cope with her boisterous puppy behaviour. Lola has now found her forever home with her new owner who is looking forward to working with her lively and cheeky personality!

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Fundraising Update Winter Raffle Our first Winter Raffle was a huge success and we were so h umbled to have received such an amazing response with almost £14,000 raised from ticket sales online. The draw took place on 12 March and the winners have been notified. Well done to the lucky winners!

Our annual Summer Raffle plans are under way and you will be able to get your paws on some tickets from 28 June 2021 when we go live. All information will be found on our website at edch.org.uk/summerraffle However, if you would like paper tickets, please contact fundraising@edch.org.uk and we will arrange this for you.

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Ready, Set, Rescue!

Did you know that you can raise money for the dogs and cats by streaming or gaming online? For the gamers- why not take on a gaming marathon, a tournament or your own unique challenge?

If gaming is not your thing, why not livestream content or a challenge you’ve always wanted to share. Whether cook-a-longs or comedy nights are your passion, go on, give it a go! It is much easier than you might think.

All you need is a Twitch account to stream and Tiltify or Just Giving account to fundraise.

Setting these up only takes a matter of minutes and you can choose to fundraise whenever you like.

A big shout out to Kieran (El_Keeko) based in the USA who livestreamed a 24 hour game-a-thon in January and raised an incredible £1120! By setting creative milestones set to encourage people to donate, Kieran managed to smash his original target of £250.

At Home, For The Home As Government restrictions remain in place, our large scale events are still on hold. Instead we have made the decision to focus on holding virtual events including our annual corporate ‘In the Dog House’, a summer Virtual Dog Walk challenge along with the winter Comedy Night.

To register your interest, please visit edch.org.uk/events

The (Pet) Show Must Go On We are calling all proud pet owners to show off their dashing dogs and clever cats in our Virtual Pet Show launching on Saturday 29 May. As we are still unable to hold our popular dog and cat shows at community events, we are delighted to bring it back with a virtual element again this year.

The categories will be judged by the Home’s Animal Champion ambassador, celebrity vet and animal welfare campaigner, ‘Marc the vet’ (Marc Abraham) with some top prizes to be won! As well as the firm favourites ‘Best Rescue’ and ‘Golden Oldie’, we have added some new categories including ‘Then and Now’. During lockdown, we are sure you have racked up quite a few photos on your camera roll so scroll and pick your best photos and enter online via edch.org.uk/virtualpetshow.

Enter as many categories as you like for a donation of £2 per entry.

We would love to hear your ideas and are ready to answer any questions you have – drop us a message at fundraising@edch.org.uk or by calling us on 0131 669 5331.

Find out more and do wnload your FREE fundraising pack at edch.org.uk/Fundr aisingpack

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Golden O

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Tales Of

Major Tom Major arrived at the Home in July 2020 due to there being difficulty whilst his owner was trying to introduce him to the new kitten in the family. Major was looking for a home where he was to be the only pet and thankfully, a local resident rehomed him not long after his arrival.

Since rehoming, they have found themselves to be a perfect match and Major is now a much loved part of the family.

“Major settled in pretty much instantly and was all snuggled up and trying to steal our dinner off our plates on the first night. When he is not busy playing with my houseplants and his toys, he enjoys an afternoon snooze on the radiator. He can be extremely playful and mischievous and VERY food-driven, so he definitely keeps me on my toes (when he’s not nibbling them)!”

- Yanecka, Major’s New Owner

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Major just loves to sit anywhere and everythere!

Introducing

Canine Physioptherapy

We are delighted to announce the launch of our Canine Physiotherapy service. Whether your dog is recovering from surgery or an injury, you want to keep up with their active lifestyle or old age is finally slowing them down, physiotherapy can help to promote the physical and emotional wellbeing of your animal while also supporting the Home.

Appointments are led by a member of our kennel team, Fiona Campbell who has a Masters’ degree in Physiotherapy and is a registered member of NAVP & IRVAP.

Benefits of Veterinary Physiotherapy Reduce pain and discomfort Alleviate swelling and inflammation Ease movement and improve confidence and well-being Improve joint range of motion, proprioception and flexibility Increase muscle mass pre- and post-surgery Gait re-education Providing support for arthritic animals So much more...

To find out further information of Canine Physiotherapy service or book an appointment with us, visit edch.org.uk/physiotherapy * Please note you must be referred by your vet to book canine physiotherapy. More information available online.

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flerm.

In partnership with

Edinburgh Dog

and Cat Home

Use code EDCH50 to receive 50% off your first month

flerm.co.uk

pet health plans from £6.49 pm

We are very pleased to announce our shortlisting for the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Awards 2021. This year we were selected as finalists for the categories of Local Business Hero for our work through our pet foodbank Paws Pantry, and Innovation in Business for the way the Home pivoted and faced the challenges of the pandemic both in service delivery and income generation.

On a final note, we’d like to send our congratulations to all of the organisations who received a winning title this year! Each winner was well deserved and we’re very proud to be a part of such a successful community.

Although we didn’t win on this occasion, we would still like to say a huge thank you to our supporters who have helped us over the last year, we couldn’t have achieved this without you!

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The team dressed in ‘Webcam Glam’ for the occasion!

Little Coco Coco, a young terrier, Bichon cross was brought to the Home in October 2020 due to her previous owner unfortunately becoming too unwell to take care of her.

Many of the staff at the Home adored this lovely girl but were pleased to see her off to her new forever home after a short while.

Coco’s new owner couldn’t be happier to have her and they have really formed a special life-long bond.

“

Upon arriving in our home, Coco was officially named CoCo Ruth MacGoldblatt and she instantly climbed upon our family bed and flipped over as if suggesting she wanted us to rub her tummy. We obliged and she cooed and then jumped up to have a wee wander around her new home.

Coco playing in the paddocks

She seemed to love every nook and cranny and became especially fond of the kitchen where we placed her doggie dishes and special treats.

For the next several hours she never left our side.

Thanks to the professionalism and compassion of Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, it was indeed meant to be and happened just at the right time for us older parents who are in the winter of our lives.

”

- Nancy Lynner and Emeritus Professor Joe Goldblatt, Coco’s New Owner

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Online Shop!

Looking for that perfect dog or cat themed birthday present or just a little treat for yourself? Here at Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, we are very proud to announce the arrival of our brand new online store!

Here you’ll have the chance to purchase both Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home branded merchandise such as t-shirts, mugs and notepads and also gift items which you can personalise with your own name/pet’s name or photograph on!

To find out more, visit

retail.edch.org.uk

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*Images for visualisation purposes only, actual products may differ slightly.

Staycation Tips

See more outdoor advice at edch.org.uk.

Happy trails!

We’re hopeful this summer will see a significant lift in restrictions, though it’s likely many will still forego overseas adventures in favour of a staycation. Staying local creates exciting opportunities to include your pet, but also creates additional considerations. We have included some below to help your holiday plans:

Pack extra food and water, and a portable bowl

Heading For

Hit some smaller hills before bagging their first munro

The Hills?

Bring extra towels – your dog is sure to find some mud!

Not all hotels and campsites are pet friendly, be sure to check before booking A comfy, familiar pet bed will ensure a good night’s sleep If camping, check your tent is large enough – some may have a suitably-sized porch, or if they are sleeping inside, clip their nails or reinforce the floor

Opting For An Overnighter?

Bring a quality lead, particularly if you will be passing livestock or wildlife

Safety

First!

Check their coat for bothersome bugs Consider investing in a GPS tracker for your dog Knowing phone reception can be patchy in the hills, make a note of the Taily Mail nearest vet

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Thank You

for supporting the Home throughout this difficult time from all the team at Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home.

Where Your Money Goes

To find out more about how you can support the animals in our care and make a donation, visit edch.org.uk/support-us Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home 26 Seafield Road East Edinburgh EH15 1EH

T: 0131 669 5331 E: info@edch.org.uk Our registered charity number: SC006914