Shona Sibary, I Have Someone You Should Meet...

Animal lovers across the internet are fuming over a Daily Mail news story about Shona Sibary, a woman who claims she buys puppies and gets rid of them when they are no longer 'cute' and easy to care for. Sibary claims that she spends huge amounts of money to splash out on pet accessories, veterinary operations and the dogs themselves. Some have offered compassion and understanding to this woman saying that the problem is probably rooted in some sort of emotional difficulty. Others have been less forgiving. Being dubbed the new Katie Hopkins/Samantha Brick, she has already faced a huge backlash on Twitter. Dog rescue groups and charities like Dog's Trust have written to her offering to show her the impact of abandonment on dogs... Let me introduce you to someone.

My future mother and father in law will be welcoming this beauty tomorrow and I'm so excited. Can't wait to meet you Bailie! #rescuedog #puppy #dogsofinstagram #beagle #spaniel

A photo posted by Gabrielle Leimon (@gabrielleleimon) on Aug 23, 2015 at 7:07am PDT

This is Bailie. My future mother and father in law just adopted him this week. Someone abandoned him too. He is a real sweetheart but he's got a lot of problems. The dog behaviourist who consulted us before Bailie came home says it's because his owner abandoned him when he was young. It's okay - we're working on it. In fact, he's not the first rescue dog my future in laws have rescued. Before Bailie they had taken in another rescue dog called Dylan. Dylan was an integral part of the family unit, always offering up a cuddle or escorting you around the house in the most gentlemanly fashion. Both dogs, having been abandoned by their previous owners, came with their own problems from having been abandoned. Dylan would howl sometimes, staring out the window as if waiting for someone. If he heard certain soap opera theme tunes he would wail out a sad cry. We never knew anything about his previous owners but we often think these things set him off because they reminded him of his past. My future mother and father in law noted that his ears pricked up and he looked around if anyone ever said the name 'Andrew'. His origins will forever remain a mystery to us as he was handed off to a shelter with no back-story. Bailie, it seems, is a lot happier. He's just a puppy but, as a Spaniel x Beagle cross he got a bit bigger and more boisterous than his previous owner had bargained for. Once he was 'too big' and harder to handle, he was given up. Being part spaniel, his owner found him too energetic and too much to handle. Rather than dealing with his behaviour with training and showing patience, it's just easier to get rid of him, right? He is now living with a lot of anxiety. When someone so much as speaks to him he pees himself unexpectedly and without warning. He can't help it. He also cannot be left alone. He becomes distressed and starts to chew on things and tear them apart. To some, this may not sound like the ideal dog. If Shona Sibary had a dog like this she would have rehomed him pretty quickly by the sound of it. It doesn't seem to have occured to her that dogs, like people, do well with a bit of subtle training. If she's so happy to fork out for her pooch-purchasing habit, why did she not throw some money on a canine behaviourist and dog training classes? Thankfully he came to owners that realised he is a living being, not just something there to be cute and entertain us. Like all living things he has a personality as complex as our own. He wants love and attention and a stable home. Dogs don't understand why they've been abandoned. No one can explain to them why they weren't good enough. Bailie has been adopted by a family that will see his behaviour and offer him patience. He has been taken in by a family that will put in the time to train him and help him work through his problems with as much love and affection as we can possibly give. Sometimes we have to form an orderly queue to do so. My point is that dogs are living things and not some hot commodity. They form an attachment to you and I have seen first hand the heartbreak they endure at being left behind. They cannot comprehend why you left them and it stays with them for life. Shona's dogs probably thought more of her than she did of them. Sure, Shona says that her dogs all have happy homes now (although details of her stories differ), but those dogs probably still wonder why their original family let them go so easily. Dogs, like wine, are good at any age. Last year my beloved pup, Hamish, passed away. I was a child when my parents brought him home and he lived with us until he was old. Two days before my birthday he passed away. I loved him just as much as an old mutt as I did when he was a puppy. Dogs, they say, are man's best friend and I've always found them to astound me with their depth of understanding. Hamish would always seem to sense when I was having a bad day and he would come and sit by my side as if to reassure me. In his old age he was very sick and had lots of health problems but I did not turn my back. I took care of him because that's what friends do. I miss him all the time. I would urge anyone with a heart big enough to adopt an animal from a shelter to give dogs like Shona's a second chance at a forever home with a good, loving family. Many shelters will often accept donations and volunteers to help socialise the dogs in their care. They will never, ever understand why you left them and why they weren't good enough. Now someone hand that woman a Tamagotchi and be done with it...

Protect your pets from floods!

Areas around the UK are being battered by severe floods and bad weather right now and apparently the worst is yet to come. This is disrupting traffic, damaging homes and it will potentially cause a lot of problem for pets. Whilst the weather is bad it's important to consider ways to make things easier for your pets and the pets of other people in your neighbourhood. The RSPCA have even made reports of cats being lifted up and carried off by the wind. Cats and small dogs could easily be carried away by rushing streams caused by flooding. Here are some ways to help provide for and protect pets in your area.

• Regularly check your cars, garage, outhouses, greenhouses and any outdoor spaces as cats particularly may go in seeking refuge. Check your roof, your attic and anywhere a critter could creep into. If you can provide any high up forms of shelter to keep animals away from rising water levels, please do so.
• Make sure your pets are wearing proper identification so that, if they go missing or find shelter during the floods, they can be properly identified and returned home safely. Your pet is safest if they have a microchip as well as an identity tag with their name and your phone number and any important medical information that requires attention in your absence.
• Make sure to stock up on pet food and any necessary medicine.
• Try to keep cats inside and maybe provide a litter tray as it will be much safer for them to stay inside if the floods in your area are severe. 
• Make sure to always provide clean water in your home to minimise the amount of muddy water in your dog or cat's system if they tend to drink water whilst out and about. 
• For dogs, plan a safe route to walk your dog so you can keep an exercise routine without endangering you both. Make sure that you accompany your dog at all times. 
• If your cats are out make sure to keep an eye out for them if you don't have a cat flap so that, when they return, they can get in immediately. 
• If you have outdoor animals like guinea pigs or rabbits find somewhere inside to keep them. If you put them into a garage then make sure their cage is high up. Ensure any cages and enclosures are water-proof and that you routinely check them to ensure safety. 
• If you do find any animals on your property then contact your local animal shelters and RSPCA branches to find out if any animals have been reported as missing. Keep an eye out for missing pet posters and make authorities and the community aware if you've found a household pet so that it can be appropriately rehomed.
• If you have horses then make sure to plan a safe evacuation route to get them into their horse carrier and drive down a non flooded road. Also look into temporary paddocks in safer areas for your pony.
• If things get bad and you have to leave your home it's best to have pet carriers so you can transport your pets to safety. Make sure to keep updated with the situation and severity in your area. If you have friends who are able to take in your pets for a few days if things get really bad then make sure to prepare in advance.

Keep your pets safe and stay safe yourself. 

Wednesday's Story: Why Pets Should Not Be Gifts.

Christmas, we are told, is a time for giving. We rush around trying to find gifts for our loved ones and from films we're all too familiar with the woofing or purring present that comes out as the main gift. Across the world thousands of animals may be given as Christmas gifts. Many of them are later dumped when the responsibilities of pet ownership become too much or when they stop being cute. It may seem like a nice gesture but it is, of course, problematic. To discuss this matter further I'd like to share a story close to my heart...

I only went to the store to buy rat food. At the time I had a trio of fancy rats that needed feeding. When I walked into the pet supply store I was pleasantly surprised to see a cage featuring four kittens, three black and one black and white, all set up near the till. The pet supply store sold pet food and accessories mainly but the owners, being registered and licensed breeders, on rare occasion had a litter of cockapoo or chihuahua puppies bred from their own dogs that sold for high prices and to good, pre-approved new owners. I was surprised to see kittens in store, especially since they were so small, at only a few weeks old I knew that they were too young to be separated from their mother. They were lacking in proper socialisation and could sit comfortably in the palm of my hand. The store owner told us that she was looking to rehome the kittens after they had been dumped in a nearby wheelie bin for an unknown amount of time. They had been starved, dehydrated and left in the dark. Since black cats are so hard to rehome due to stigma and silly superstitions she was doing all the work in rehoming them herself. This way she could give them around the clock care until they found their forever homes. Someone clearly had been so heartless and so unwilling to care for these kittens that they thought to abandon them even if it meant their death. Since the store owner knew nothing of their background she was giving the kittens free to a good home. We left ten minutes later with a cardboard box and a newly adopted little black kitten. 

We named the little black kitten Wednesday since black cats are unlucky and Wednesday is said to be the unluckiest day of the week. Also we're big fans of The Addams Family. It had been a fateful Wednesday morning, however, when she and her siblings had been found and rescued from the wheelie bin and so I suppose Wednesday as a day held some luck for this unlucky cat. We noticed quite quickly that she couldn't stand being picked up. She'll rip your hands to ribbons before she'll let you hold her. She freaks out if your face even goes near her. It's hard because we don't know what made her act like this or what difficulties she may have had to endure in those first few weeks of her life before she was dumped.

I want you to think of this if you're contemplating giving someone something that is alive for Christmas. <strong>Animals aren't gifts.</strong> They are living things and it is a privilege to live alongside them. If you are introducing an animal to a home this Christmas then I urge you to think of what happens after Christmas day. After those first excited cuddles are over will the animal still be cherished? Will it be walked and cleaned up after? Will you be able to keep it should your circumstances change or are they likely to change soon? Will you treat that animal with the same love and compassion when it's old and suffering from skin irritations, hip dysplasia or an uncontrollable bladder? Animals are a joy but they come with a shed load of responsibilities. If you're bringing an animal into your home or giving it as a gift, is that animal going to be loved and appropriately cared for every day for the rest of their lives? Also, if you're thinking of getting an animal friend, why not consider adopting a pet rather than buying one? I've written a previous article on the matter.

It has taken two years for Wednesday to even be comfortable and affectionate after her adoption. If she had been given to someone without the patience and understanding to work with her then I truly don't know what would have happened to her. She could have been dumped again or, like so many other animals, left to live in a shelter in favour of kittens curled up in pet shops. Wednesday is now at the stage where, though not usually affectionate, she picks her moments and suddenly/desperately wants attention and affection and I make it my business to stop what I'm doing and cuddle her. It is rare but it is special. When she comes to me and is comfortable enough to let her guard down for a cuddle it feels like through me she is forgiving all the bad she's had to overcome and living alongside her has been a privilege. Please just remember that a pet is a lifelong commitment. They have their own personalities, needs and problems and they all deserve someone who will respect the responsibilities of pet ownership. Christmas, they say, is a time for giving so if you are giving an animal a home let it be a good home and let it be forever.

As I write this now Wednesday is making it hard for me to type. She's rubbing her head against my fingers.
Pet me she says...
Who am I to say no? These small moments when my cat comes to me for cuddles feels like a small victory every time.

Dogs welcoming military owners back from deployment

It's Monday.

I figured you might need something to cheer you up so here's a compilation video of happy, excited dogs being reunited with their owners. It's heart-warming.

Enjoy,

Recommended Reads

Ahh, Wednesday.
Possibly my favourite day of the week.
It is, of course, the day where I do my "Recommended Reads" section and give you a little list of interesting things I've seen around on the internet that week.

Here's my list for the week, lovelies:

• Portraits of dogs dressed like their owners - found on HuffPost. I think that's all that needs to be said, surely?
• Attitude Clothing UK - a cool place to shop for alternative clothing as well as home furnishings, accessories and novelty items.
• YouTube Tutorial - How to make a simple erasable message board at home
• Fuck Yeah Lesbian Literature - a whole Tumblr dedicated to the literary works of queer female writers. Awesome!
• FreeTranslation.com for all your basic language needs. It's not perfect but it's often pretty good.