I arrived at the home of adorable Four Paws Cocker Spaniel Archie who had been having fun with a roll of kitchen paper from of the worktop!
Being a very clever puppy he decided to try and distract me from his antics by offering me his soft toy.
How could I be cross with those puppy dog eyes saying it wasn’t me Aunty Fran, honest!
Don’t you just love them!
Always have a First Aid Kit in your vehicle.
Not only to be used for first aid but if there is a risk of being bitten, use a bandage as a muzzle.
AS spring flowers bloom in forests, parks and gardens across Dorset, pet owners are being warned of the dangers certain plants bring to cats and dogs.
While colourful springtime flora such as daffodils, tulips and lilies are delightful to look at, they can also prove deadly to pets.
According to findings from More Than, over three quarters (78%) of Britain’s gardens contain plants that are toxic to cats and dogs. The insurance provider also found almost 10 per cent of cats and dogs have fallen ill after ingesting dangerous plant life. Of those, 43 per cent subsequently needed urgent veterinary care, while 15 per cent sadly passed away.
Among the popular spring plants and flowers that can be dangerous to pets are daffodils, tulips, lilies, crocuses and lily of the valley.
With daffodils, ingestion of the bulb, plant or flower can cause severe vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and even possible cardiac problems in dogs and cats. The main toxicity of tulips is found in the bulbs, and when ingested it can result in irritation to the mouth and oesophagus. Typical signs of poisoning include drooling, vomiting and diarrhoea.
There are many varieties of lily and not all are dangerous to pets. Peace and Calla lily can cause minor complications when ingested, such as irritation to the mouth. However, the likes of Tiger, Asiatic and Easter lilies can be highly toxic to cats, with the ingestion of even small amounts of the plant potentially resulting in kidney failure.
The spring crocus variety can cause general gastrointestinal upset including vomiting and diarrhoea. And the lily of the valley plant can cause symptoms similar to foxglove when ingested by pets, including vomiting, erratic heart rate and diarrhoea.
Despite the dangers, More Than found one in three pet owners (31%) admitted they had no idea if the plants in their garden were toxic. The same number were unaware plants could be poisonous to pets.
As part of its campaign, More Than is calling on plant producers, manufacturers of garden products and retailers to provide clearer labelling to help pet owners easily identify if plants are safe or harmful to cats and dogs. To date, over 30 MPs have supported the company’s aims for clearer labelling.
George Lewis, head of marketing, said: “Whether you’re walking your dog in the park or planting bulbs in the garden, we would urge pet owners everywhere to take the appropriate steps to ensure their cats and dogs are safe.” from ingesting poisonous spring plant life and falling seriously ill.”
Maggie the Kelpie, believed to be the world’s oldest dog, passed away while asleep in her basket Sunday night.
Maggie, who belonged to Australian dairy farmer, Brian McLaren, was 30 at the time of her death. That’s approximately 200 in human years. According to McLaren, Maggie had been happy and healthy up until two days before her death, when she began to deteriorate.
Ella and ToTo enjoying the sunshine together. Relaxed and chilled!
Special doggies!
Meet Cleopatra a lovely 5 year old Cat. She is a very outgoing girl and really loves cuddles. She is looking for a new home as sadly her previous owner was moving to no pet accommodation. She will need a new human that is happy to be groomed by her and doesn’t mind getting the odd present. She should be fine to live with cat savvy children but she will need to be the only pet in the home.
Visit http://www.margaretgreenanimalrescue.org.uk/41270
If your dog gets an electric shock from a voltage supply e.g. non domestic, do not approach the dog!
Call the Police immediately.
Animal Friendly Lawns.
None of us want to endanger the lives of our children and pets (dogs and cats). But if you live in a neighbourhood where the lawns look like golf greens, you may feel some pressure to keep up with the Jones’. Or you may just be tired of sheltering every weed that blows into town.
Pesticides, whether they are insecticides, fungicides or herbicides, are designed to kill unwanted species of life. They are not selective in what they kill and their effect goes beyond those few irritating bugs or weeds we want to eradicate. These pesticides are among the 75,000 new chemicals that have been introduced into our world since World War II. Twelve of the most common pesticides are suspected carcinogens while 850 have hormone-disrupting effects. Today, we carry 500 measurable chemicals in our bodies, chemicals that would not have been evident in the 1920s.
There are steps you can take to return your lawn to its natural state, but you have to be patient. A chemical-dependent lawn is highly susceptible to pests and diseases so it will take some time to restore its health. Likewise, if you’re starting out fresh with a “mixed bag” lawn, you’ve got some work ahead of you. Fortunately, there are a number of organic lawn care companies sprouting up across North America who can do part or all of the work for you.
Aerating You don’t want compacted soil, so aerate it in the spring to encourage the exchange of oxygen, moisture and plant nutrients. Ants and earthworms will fertilize and continue the aeration process.
Topdressing Add nutrients and microorganisms to your lawn with applications of compost, topsoil and/or composted manure.
Overseeding Spread a layer of grass seed over the existing lawn to improve grass density. Use hardy, pest-resistant grass species.
Mowing Never cut off more than the top third of each grass blade in a single mowing. Mow to a height of three inches. This leads to good root development and denser turf which shades out the weeds. Make sure you cut with sharp blades.
Watering Water one morning a week to a depth of one inch.
Fertilizing Use compost, grass clippings and slow-release organic products. Be aware that natural botanical pesticides do not necessarily mean less toxicity.
Finally, consider alternatives to 100-per-cent grass. Check out other possible ground covers and vegetation. Welcome the dandelions; eat them! Grow thyme. Plant wildflowers and attract the birds and butterflies. And share your enthusiasm for a drug-free lawn with your neighbors.
Did you know that
Children are six times more likely to get leukemia if their parents use pesticides around the house?
Dogs face a doubled risk of lymphatic cancer when exposed to 2,4-D (a component of Agent Orange used during the Vietnam War)?
Miscarriages and birth defects are causally linked to pesticides?
Breast cancer has been linked to pesticides?
Cancers such as soft-tissue sarcoma, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, as well as cancers of the brain, lungs, skin and stomach, are connected to pesticide use?
Birds die as a result of eating grass and clover sprayed with pesticides? They may take days to die.
People suffering from asthma and allergies are adversely affected by pesticides? Pesticides are cumulative and are stored in our fat cells?
A moderate walk through the water meadows by the River Stour, and short distances on country lanes and along gravel tracks. Follow waymarks for Walk 10 on the route.
Begin trail
Start: Car park opposite White Mill
1
Leave the car park in the direction of Shapwick and then turn right up a straight country lane, passing White Mill Farm on the right.
Shapwick Parish name derives from the Saxon meaning sheep village. It was the smallest of the four Manors in East Dorset and pre-dates the Norman period. The village centre has an old stone cross, now a memorial to the men of the First and Second World Wars. In 1800 there were 409 inhabitants, today there are 197. The predominant employment in the area is agriculture. Two mills for corn and grain existed in Shapwick.
2
At the junction with Park Lane turn right onto the bridleway, Sweetbrier Drove. Sweetbrier Drove was the medieval route to Shapwick, before the more southerly road by the Stour was adopted. The walking surface is normally dry, being on chalk. The surrounding farmland is a mixture of arable and of particular value to birds. Continue to the end of the drove.
Sweetbrier Drove used to be the main road to Blandford. Looking south-easterly along the drove, the tower on the horizon is at Charborough Park Estate. At the end of Sweetbrier Drove, when the BP pipeline was being constructed from Wych Farm on Purbeck to Southampton in the 1980s, a Roman and Iron Age settlement was revealed in the field to the north. The Iron Age one likely to have been a farmstead with connections to the ancient hill fort at Badbury.
3
Here you meet Kingston Lacy Drove and the perimeter belt of Kingston Lacy Park. The woodland on the park side is known as Coneygar, associated with the breeding of rabbits in the medieval period. Artificial banks may have encouraged the creation of burrows. This section of the walk can be muddy underfoot after rain. Turn right and then right again onto the Stour Valley Way and proceed in the Sturminster Marshall direction. The link from here on the edge of Kingston Lacy Park back to White Mill forms part of the national long distance walk along the Stour Valley Way.
4
You will then rejoin the Shapwick to Cowgrove road, turn right, cross the road and then after approximately 220yd (200m) pass through the stile on your left. It is here that during the season you can make the short diversion to visit Barford Farm ice cream garden and shop. These long time tenants of the estate are building an excellent reputation for the quality of their products.
5
Crossing the pasture towards the river, another stile is encountered, whereupon the footpath then follows the bank of the Stour back to White Mill.
White Mill itself is open March-November at weekends and on Bank Holiday Mondays, subject to an admission charge, National Trust members free. Henry Bankes was responsible for having the Mill rebuilt in 1776 and we have conserved the 18th-century wooden machinery. The millstones remained in use right until the end of the 19th century, grinding grain (grist) for both flour and animal feed. The arched bridge here is reputed to be the oldest in Dorset.
End: Car park opposite White Mill.
To find out more visit the National Trust website. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/kingston-lacy/
Please ensure your dog or dogs are supervised at all times.
Have a great Walk!
