I'M GOING HOME TOMORROW!!!

At this time tomorrow, I will be at Heathrow Airport!!! Wooo hooo... will be seeing Cleo and co again soon!!! Hurra!!!

LUCY HAS GONE HOME...

Lucy, one of the Stafforshire Bull Terrier puppies I look after at The Mayhew, has gone to her new home yesteraday. A very nice family adopted her and I know she will have a great life... But I will miss her terribly though...

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I will be taking part in the British 10K run to raise money for the Mayhew Animal Home
Please visit www.justgiving.com/natashafernz to sponsor me.

Please note that you can still sponsor me even if you are not in the United Kingdom... :)

Your donation will be greatly appreciated by all the animals at The Mayhew...

WHAT THE MAYHEW DOES...

Hi everybody,

Cameron & Lucy on their second of four walks a day

This is Cameron and Lucy... my two favourite pups at The Mayhew Animal Home. They were abandoned by their owner when they were mere weeks old. If it wasn't for the Mayhew, who knows what would have happened to them.

Lucy making sure she gets her share of cuddles...

Cameron and Lucy have been neutered and vaccinated and have grown so much since they first arrived. With the care from the staff and volunteers - they are now happy and healthy pupppies. Lucy will be going to her new home soon - and this would not be possible without The Mayhew.

Cameron getting some cuddles in her kennel
(Can you see her TV at the back?)

I know I have gone on about how fantastic the Mayhew is, but alot of you must also be asking what exactly does the Mayhew do to make me gush so much about it.

Well here's just some of the things that the kennel staff and volunteers at the Mayhew do on a daily basis (The cattery is also excellent - but as I am dog mad, I don't do much there):

1. Clean each and every kennel with pet safe disinfectants
2. Put down fresh and clean bedding for each of the dogs
3. Take each dog (unless medically un-fit) out for AT LEAST 4 short walks a day (i.e. 15 mins per walk at the minimum)
4. Take each dog (unless medically un-fit) out for AT LEAST 1 very long walk each week to the canals or scrubs (i.e. over an hour)
5. Ensure that each dog has some time in the in-door or outdoor runs every day.
6. Feed the dogs with specific types of food depending on their health and condition
7. Provide veterinary care by qualified vets at Mayhew's very own state of the art clinic.
8. Vaccinate every dog that comes in
9. Spay / neuter every dog that comes in
10. Play soothing music for the dogs in the afternoons / nap time
11. Get lots of cuddles from staff and volunteers!
12. Do LOTS of laundry - as there are tons of bedding to be washed and dried every day!

The actual kennels at The Mayhew are very different from other shelters. The first thing I noticed on my first day was that it was relatively quiet.

The reason for this was that each kennel was built to feel like a room within a house - wooden doors and walls to start with. So if a dog does bark, the sound doesn't reflect off steel walls and cause all the other dogs to bark.

The size of the kennels are also fairly large - the smallest one being the size of a decent single room!

Then each kennel has a small television set that gets turned on at certain hours of the day. This is to familiarise the dogs with sounds that they will experience in a home when they are finally adopted,or to make them feel more at home if they have been given up by their owners. The radio also gets turned on at various times of the day for the same reason.

Each dog also has very sufficient bedding so that they do not sleep on cold hard floors like in most other kennels. AND all kennels are fitted with heaters (for the winter) and air conditioners (for the summer!).

These are only some of the things that are done on a daily basis at the Mayhew. There are many other important things that are done at The Mayhew to ensure that all the animals receive the best level of care possible and to ensure that the best homes are found for all the animals.

I could go on and on about the Mayhew... but I think I shall stop for now. I would however like to appeal to each and everyone of you to sponsor me for the British 10K run which I am taking part in to raise money for the Mayhew so that they can continue their fabulous work. Please visit www.justgiving.com/natashafernz to sponsor me.

Please note that you can still sponsor me even if you are not in the United Kingdom... :)

Your donation will be greatly appreciated by all the animals at The Mayhew...

SPONSOR ME PLEASE...

Hello everyone,

I will be running for The Mayhew this year in the British 10k London Run - so will need all the support I can get. Please "sponsor me" to raise funds for The Mayhew by clicking here. Any amount will do - even as little as GBP10 cause every penny helps...

Please also help me raise money for The Mayhew by spreading the word to all your friends and family. Thanks a million guys - all the animals at The Mayhew will really appreciate your contribution!!!

Please note that you can still sponsor me even if you are not in the United Kingdom... :)

CRUFTS 2009

I was at my first CRUFTS this weekend. I was completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of dogs that were there.

Apparently a total of 22,000 dogs were registered for this year's CRUFTS eventhough there has been quite alot of controversy surrounding breeders and pedigree dogs in the UK recently.

And the activities in the NEC Arena were quite spectacular - as I got to witness first class dogs and handlers in a number of events - agility, freestyle & flyball etc.

I was quite bored at the actual dog showing rings - but the activities in the main arena, Youth Kennel Club and Obedience Rings were really quite interesting.

Though in fairness, there was no way that anyone can experience everything that they would like to at CRUFTS - just because the magnitude of the entire show was simply phenomenal. My favourite bits were all the agility and flyball stuff, and also the Friends for Life bit.

Also, I had intended to get some stuff for my Cleo & Co, but just couldn't. My brains simply malfunctioned cause there were so many exhibitors there that I didn't even know where to start.

I wish I had enough sense to take some decent pictures - but I didn't... Anyway, for those of you who have no idea what CRUFTS is, here's a bit of background and also a link to their official web-site.

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History of Crufts

How it all started: the development of Crufts Dog Show

Crufts is named after its founder Charles Cruft. The young Charlesleaving college in 1876 had no desire to join the family jewellery business. Instead he took employment with James Spratt who had set up a new venture in Holborn, London selling "dog cakes".

Charles Cruft was ambitious and a relatively short apprenticeship asan office boy led to promotion to travelling salesman. This brought him into contact with large estates and sporting kennels.

His next career move with Spratts saw him travelling to Europe and here in 1878 Frenchdog breeders, perhaps seeing entrepreneurial talents in Cruft, invited him to organise the promotion of the canine section of the Paris Exhibition. He was still just two years out of college.

Back in England in 1886 he took up the management of the Allied Terrier Club Show at the Royal Aquarium, Westminster.

The first Crufts show in that name was booked into the RoyalAgricultural Hall, Islington in 1891. This was the first in a long series of shows there. During this era it was possible for individuals to run shows for personal profit, an aspect that appealed mightily to Charles Cruft, and he ran his shows with considerable profit tohimself.

Today there are no privately owned dog shows and permission to hold shows is granted by the Kennel Club which licenses only non-commercial organisations.

In 1938 Charles Cruft died and his widow ran the 1939 show. Three years later Mrs Cruft felt the responsibility for running the show too demanding and, in order to perpetuate the name of the show her husband had made world famous, she asked the Kennel Club to take it over and it was sold to them; 1948 was the first show under the Kennel Club auspices.

Held at Olympia, it proved an immediate success with both exhibitors and the public. Since then Crufts has increased in stature year by year.

In 1979 it was decided to change the venue from Olympia to Earls Court as the increasing entries had the show bursting at the seams. In 1982 the show ran for three days and in 1987 for four days to accommodate the increasing numbers of dogs and spectators.

1991 saw the Crufts Centenary Show being held at the BirminghamNational Exhibition Centre, this being the first time the show had moved from London.

2009 will be the nineteenth year that the show has been staged at the NEC.

RUN FOR THE MAYHEW

Watch this space!!!

I will be running for The Mayhew this year in the British 10k London Run - so will need all the support I can get. Will be posting details on how you can "sponsor" me to raise funds for The Mayhew soon...

CAMERON & LUCY FOR ADOPTION - LONDON

Hello everyone...

As some of you know, I spend my Saturdays at The Mayhew Animal Home in Kensal Green. Anyway, there are 2 adorable puppies - Cameron & Lucy (both Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross breed) - that are waiting for someone to give them a forever home...

I have been looking after them for a few weeks now - and while they're my favourite dogs at The Mayhew, it also breaks my heart to see them there every week...

So if there are any of you that live in London or who have friends who live in London, and think that you can give these 2 puppies a good home, please click here to find out How to Adopt or contact The Mayhew at 020 8969 0178 to arrange for an appointment to see these 2 adorable babies.

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Am attaching pictures of Cameron, and will try to get some of Lucy soon too...

Hello, my name is Cameron

I'm an eleven week old, female Staffordshire Bull Terrier crossbreed who will grow to be a small medium sized dog. I arrived at The Mayhew with my siblings because my owner was unable to care for us.

I am a typical lively and playful puppy who needs a lot of attention. I am very affectionate, craving company and I love to learn. I'm also very inquisitive and into everything. I am good with other dogs, cats and children. I'm available for adoption now but won't be able to go to my new home until I've been neutered at twelve weeks.

I am looking for a new home with someone who will make sure I get two gentle, thirty minute, off lead, socialisation outings per day whilst I'm still young, building up to a minimum of one to two hours, of off lead exercise, daily once I'm fully grown.

My new guardians will be at home for most of the day, have owned dogs before and will be prepared to take me to training classes. Any children in my new home will need to be at least sixteen years and upwards. My new guardians will be taking on a fifteen-year commitment, which must not be taken lightly.

Hope to see you soon
Cameron x

DOES THE MAYOR OF KL EVEN CARE?

I have to apologise for not being able to translate the full episode aired by TV3's 360 - I haven't had the time unfortunately.

I would like to thank 360's presenter and producer, Mazidul Akmal Sidik, for highlighting the plight of the animals in our country once again.

I would also like to congratulate all the animal activists who turned up at the DBKL pound for the peaceful protest against the brutal treatment of the animals by the staff of DBKL, and also to those who "rescued" a large number of dogs and puppies from a painful and cruel death.

I am unsure as to whether all the rescued dogs have been re-homed at the moment, but will do my best to keep everyone uptoday.

In the mean time, I am disappointed that the Mayor of KL seems to have backtracked on his promise to conduct a thorough investigation on this issue - as is clearly evidenced in the videos that I have previously posted.

The contradicting statements made by the Mayor are also reported by The Malay Mail and The Star. I am attaching the articles here as well in case the links don't work.

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The Malay Mail : Animal Torture Chamber
February 5, 2009

Barbaric. There is no other way to describe the inhumane manner in which, if found to be true, animals were allegedly put down at a local council-run animal pound in Setapak: cats were drowned and dogs strangled.

Malay Mail was alerted to the alleged monstrosity taking place at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall pound, located at Air Panas, by a member of the public. She claimed to have seen council staff dunking cats in water to drown them and dogs being strangled to death.

She was present at the premises as she had brought her pet to the neutering clinic of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) which operates within the City Hall premises.
Checks with SPCA yesterday revealed the organisation did indeed receive the same complaint on cruelty on Jan 24 and stated they were in touch with the complainant to gather more details of the alleged incident.

It was also learnt that SPCA received a similar report by someone claiming to have seen a dog being strangled at the premises last November.

In the latest report received by the non-govermental organisation, the complainant claimed that the incident happened before 8am while she was waiting for the clinic to open at 9am.

SPCA stressed the incident in question did not involve any of its staff and that although based within the City Hall premises they were a separate entity.

"Ours is a dedicated, low-cost, highly subsidised neutering clinic set up by SPCA with the support of City Hall as a long-term, cost-effective and humane solution to the growing stray population crisis.

"The City Hall Dog Pound is where the dog (and cats) caught by the council are housed temporarily, before being claimed by their owners or euthanised by council staff," said SPCA public relations and marketing department assistant manager Jacinta Johnson.

Jacinta said SPCA had since written an official letter to City Hall’s health director asking for an explanation over both incidents and was in the midst of investigating the case.

She said all councils have been supplied with the Department of Veterinary Services’ "Guidelines on catching and exterminating stray dogs (2008)" yet SPCA continued to receive reports from members of the public on inhumane practices by local councils.

Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Ahmad Fuad Ismail was outraged and vowed to investigate the matter thoroughly. He said a life, even that of an animal, must be respected and the strangling and drowning of dogs and cats was not the way to euthanise them.“If true, that would be very cruel and City Hall is taking a serious view of the matter. Even for a prisoner on death row, we cannot simply strangle him as there are guidelines to follow.

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The Star - Mayor : Killings sensationalised
February 18, 2009

THE alleged killing of stray dogs at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) animal pound in Setapak was blown out of proportion, said Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Ahmad Fuad Ismail.

The mayor, who had instructed his officers to conduct an investigation, said the visuals shown over TV3 programme 360° showing a dog pound worker dragging a dying dog with a loop around its neck was not entirely correct.

“The dog was already dead after our officers had euthanised it. What was shown on TV was a worker dragging a dead dog. It was not strangled or its neck fractured as reported,’’ he said.
While the mayor acknowledged that whole process should have been better managed, he, however, denied that the dogs were brutally killed at the DBKL dog pound.

“We have been operating the pound for over seven years in collaboration with the SPCA and there has never been such an incident,’’ he said.

On the issue of the burial method, the mayor said the landfill in Bukit Taga refused to take the carcasses so DBKL had to bury the dead dogs inside the pound. But this was done under the Dog Licensing and Canal bylaws.

The process involves digging several holes which are about 6ft deep. The hole is layered with lime dust as a disinfectant. Each hole can take in about 60 dogs and the process is repeated months later.

“As bad as it may sound, there is no other way to do this as the cost of having an incinerator is too expensive,” Fuad said.

Under the Dog Licensing and Canal bylaws 1991, stray dogs caught by the DBKL will be kept for seven days before they are put to sleep.

“The cost of catching a dog is RM30 and feeding and euthanising a dog costs RM120.

“The DBKL catches some 8,000 stray dogs a year. Last year alone, over 7,800 dogs were put down at the Setapak dog pound,” Fuad said.

The mayor said if they were to engage a veterinarian to administer the injections, it would cost more. Fuad, however, promised to look into all aspects of the situation and better manage it.

The DBKL, in collaboration with the SPCA, had initiated the Klinik Kembiri programme a few years ago whereby cats and dogs are spayed to prevent unwanted stray population. Since 2003, over 8,000 cats and dogs have been spayed.

BEAR AT THE MAYHEW

Hi all...

I have been meaning to post this from last week - but unfortunately I have been swamped!

Anyway, Bear is a GIANT of a dog that has finally arrived at The Mayhew Animal Home from Afghanistan. Bear was a dog meant for fighting in Afghanistan, and has had his ears and tail docked. He was very lucky to have escaped his fate, and has recently been brought to England, and finally to Mayhew.

I have had the privilege to meet Bear - tho I have yet to have any contact with him as he is over 6ft tall when he stands up... Hopefully he will find a new home soon... Here are some links to Bear's story....

1. CNN
2. BBC
3. London Informer
4. This is London
5. Worthing Herald

TV3's 360 - BRUTAL KILLINGS BY DBKL

Hi all,

I've just been notified that TV3's 360 did a full episode on the plight of our animals... Here are the videos... I have yet to watch it myself as I am currently in the office. But will work on translating the necessary as soon as I can...

In the mean time, keep up the pressure... we can make a change!!!!

Regards
natasha