mypetfriends.co.uk

A new qualification launched by The British Horse Society will recognise the skills of riding school helpers.
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The Riding School Assistant Certificate of Competence will help mark the personal progress of successful candidates while offering the client an assurance that they are in safe and experienced hands.
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Imagine this – you lose your dog only to find that when you do find it, a pet rescue centre has sold it on to someone else and refuses to help you get it back.  Well, that’s what happened to Liz Horns who found out that her lost dog Penny was sold to another family.
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She had the Jack Russell terrier for 11 years before Penny went missing last month.  When she discovered that the rescue centre who had found the dog had rehomed it, she naturally asked for the details of the new owners so she could be reunited with her.  However, the rescue centre refused her request, indicating that they couldn’t give her the details because of ‘data protection.’  They wouldn’t even call on her behalf.
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National Ferret Day on 5 May provides a timely reminder about the availability of the BVA Animal Welfare Foundation’s (BVA AWF) practical guide designed to enable owners to provide the very best of care for their pet ferrets.  Produced in association with the Ferret Education & Research Trust (FERT), the ‘Caring for your ferret’ leaflet reflects the growing popularity of these intelligent and curious animals as household pets. 
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Cat owners have less than a month to enter their pet in Cats Protection’s prestigious Rescue Cat Awards 2010.
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Dubbed the “Feline Oscars”, the awards – sponsored by Purina PetCare – celebrate the real life stories of survival, bravery and heroism in the cat world.
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The awards, held every two years, are open to any living cat rescued as a stray by its current owner or adopted from an animal welfare organisation.
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Further warnings about the use of drying cabinets come after yet another pet dies after being ‘baked to death’ in these machines.  Daisy, a pedigree Shih Tzu , died of unbearable heat in a drying cage, during a visit to her local pet grooming parlour in Sheffield.
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Travis Melton, 15, returned to collect his puppy from the Pets at Home grooming parlour in Sheffield he had left Daisy in 90 minutes earlier, only to be told that the dog had died in an accident.  It transpired that Daisy had died after choking on her own vomit.  Two staff have been suspended and an investigation has begun. 
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We all know that pets can calm you down, simply stroking a cat, dog or other pet can reduce your stress levels.  Scientists have gone on to prove this and now they are being introduced into prison environments to encourage prisoners to calm down. 
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The new therapy aims to calm violent prisoners down and prevent them from wrecking their cells.  The Pets As Therapy programme is a government backed initiative being trialled at Her Majesty’s Prison Hindley.  As a young Offenders Institute, inmates were regularly smashing up their cells in frustration and anger, it is hoped that the pets will calm people down and reduce such incidences. 
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The British Horse Society is pleased to announce its new rehoming scheme established to assist horse owners to find safe new homes for their horses.
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The British Horse Society receives many requests for help from horse owners urgently seeking new homes for their horses. For most, the prospect of parting with their horse is heartbreaking but unavoidable. As many equine rescue centres are running at, or near to, capacity, finding a safe, experienced and knowledgeable home – and doing so quickly – is not always easy. The BHS has therefore established a rehoming scheme to help existing owners find suitable new homes for their horses.   
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It is a sad fact of life that we will all grow old one day. Not only will we grow old, but our pets will too. As age slowly creeps in, it is important to make plans so we will be able to care for them when old Father Time comes knocking. As veterinary bills grow more expensive and frequent, it is imperative that you have your loved ones properly insured should disaster strike. The older your pet becomes, the higher the chances of them needing medical attention.
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As time passes, the more susceptible your pet will become to illness. Their bones become weaker, their general health deteriorates and they are more liable to suffer from strokes or seizures. Cancer, diabetes, heart disease and kidney failure are just some of problems they may face. You will find that their digestive systems are not as robust as they once were, and their joints and limbs are more likely to suffer as the years pass.
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18 month old Zumer Ahmed was mauled to death by the family’s dog at their home last Saturday.  The event was witnessed by her mother and by two workmen next door who intervened by releasing the dogs jaws from Zumer’s head, but despite their efforts she died shortly afterwards at hospital.
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Following the Health Protection Agency’s advice to the public on the possible health effects of the Icelandic volcanic ash reaching ground level, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) has issued some simple advice to pet owners in the UK.
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The HPA has suggested that people who experience symptoms such as itchy or irritated eyes, runny nose, sore throat or dry cough and those who notice a dusty haze in the air or smell sulphur, rotten eggs, or a strong acidic smell, may wish to limit their activities outdoors or return indoors. The HPA also suggests that people with respiratory problems may notice the effects more than others. The HPA stresses that the concentration of particles which may reach ground level is likely to be low and should not cause serious harm.
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