Daisy, a Border Collie owned by Mary Sims, 39, of Baldrine, Isle of Man, has been awarded “PAT Dog of the Year 2005”, by the charity Pets As Therapy (PAT).

Three year old Daisy was presented with her award at a special ceremony at the historic Palace Hotel in Buxton, Derbyshire, on 6th November 2005 by Mr Roy Barraclough a former star in Coronation Street, and Tony Parkinson, Managing Director, of HiLife Pet Foods, sponsor of the Awards.

Daisy was nominated by the Activities Organiser at the Springfield Grange Nursing Home in Douglas, Isle of Man, Jill Chinn, where Daisy is a regular visitor

Jill Chinn said that everyone looked forward to Daisy and Mary’s visits and that Daisy was loved by residents, doing a great deal to enrich their lives. Mary, her owner, said that her Daisy was a little star and had been a PAT dog for two years. She is so gentle and loves to be with people. At Springfield Grange they even have posters up with pictures of her, and the residents really look forward to her visits. She also said that it made her very proud to be first in the country from their very small group of PAT dogs on the Island.

Daisy’s award included a specially engraved crystal glass bowl by Birkdale Crystal, a commemorative certificate, £500 and six months’ supply of HiLife dog food. The judge was Valerie Foss.

Voting was carried out by readers of the magazine, “Take A Break” and the nominations were received from establishments all over the country that are visited by PAT dogs, stating why they believed their nominated dog was worthy of the accolade, PAT dog of the Year 2005.

Tony Parkinson of HiLife said that they were proud to support Pets As Therapy and to sponsor their awards which honour every one of the thousands of wonderful volunteers and their very special dogs. Every week almost 3,500 volunteers and their PAT dogs bring therapeutic care to over 100,000 people of all ages throughout the UK. They give their time freely to visit patients and residents in hospitals, care and nursing homes, hospices, special needs schools, and similar establishments. To qualify the dogs and their owners have to pass a rigorous temperament assessment.

Pets As Therapy is a charity that receives no Government aid and relies entirely on voluntary contributions. If you would like to contribute or provide other support, or wish to find out how your dog could qualify to become a PAT dog, contact Pets As Therapy on 0870 240 1239 or visit www.petsastherapy.org

This article was first seen in “Our Dogs”, 11th November 2005, being an exclusive national appeal by the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association for puppy walking volunteers across the UK, who care for and educate guide dog pups from six weeks of age for a period of 12 months.

Nikki Holland from the Guide Dogs’ volunteering department said that the organisation is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to become puppy walkers because, at the end of the day, if we don’t have puppy walkers then we don’t have guide dogs. Puppy walking is challenging and a commitment but our volunteers find it extremely rewarding and worthwhile.

Although the appeal is nationwide, the locations where the need for volunteers are : Nottingham, Derby, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Evesham, Alton (Hampshire), High Wycombe, Maidenhead, Reading, Portsmouth, Redbridge (north London area), Southampton, Winchester, Windsor, Stockton on Tees, Newcastle and throughout the North East, West and South Yorkshire, Central Belt Scotland, Edinburgh and Lothian, Angus, Perth and Aberdeen.

For more information on becoming a puppy walker or for information on other volunteering opportunities, please contact Tel: 0118 983 8290, Email: volunteer@guidedogs.org.uk

The young dogs spend much of their first year with the puppy walker volunteers who teach basic obedience and get them used to a home environment, noise and the bustle of towns. They will prepare the dogs for their working lives ahead including taking them on public transport to include trains, buses and taxis. A young guide dog puppy is a companion for its temporary owners, who find it so rewarding to raise a dog who will one day give a blind person a new independence by acting as their eyes.

The Guide Dogs Organisation supplies basic equipment and covers all veterinary and feeding expenses. To become a puppy walker, volunteers must live in ground floor accommodation, and have direct access to a car. They will have to be home for most of the day, and be free to take their puppy into many varied environments that will be sometimes busy and difficult. Their yard or garden will also need to be fenced securely so that the puppy remains safe within its confines.

PDSA PET FIT CAMP CHAMP IS A GOLDEN RETRIEVER

Oakley, a six year old Golden Retriever from Plymouth has battled the bulge to win PDSA’s national competition to find the UK’s most committed pet “Inch-loss Idol”. Oakley beat five other UK finalists by shedding 7.6 kg (16% of his own bodyweight).

Oakley was enrolled on the “pet fit camp” by the PDSA after being nominated by his owner, Lisa Deadman. Starting the 100 day diet and fitness regime in September 2005, he originally weighed a massive 46.5 kg due to his unstinting love of “Rich Tea” biscuits. At his current weight of 38.9 kg Oakley has lost the equivalent weight of 25 packets of his favourite snack.

For all his efforts Oakley won the coveted title of “PDSA pet fit camp Champ” and a holiday at Knoll House in Dorset for both him and his owner. As a combined effort all the contenders have also managed to raise over £500 in sponsorship for PDSA to help pets in need of vets thanks to donations from friends, family and supportive members of the public.

In second place came “Buster”, a six year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier from London who lost 3.2 kg (13% of his bodyweight). Exercise has been the key to his success. In third slot came “Pebbles” a five year old cat also from London, who lost a massive 0.65 kg (8.7% of her bodyweight).

“Oakley” and the other five contestants were chosen to take part by Kevin Adams, Fame Academy fitness guru and by Elaine Pendlebury PDSA senior veterinary surgeon.

The previous combined pet weight of 183.2 kg is now a more modest 126.5 kg this equating to a loss of over 28 bags of sugar. Elaine said that many of the pets have discovered a new lease of life after losing their excess weight. Eating more healthily and taking regular exercise as recommended by your vet, may well improve the overall enjoyment of life for the pet.It is important to remember that a slow and gradual loss of weight programme together with exercise will achieve the best results.

WINTER PET CARE TIPS FROM THE PDSA

1. Don’t leave a dog or cat outside in freezing temperatures for any length of time without access to shelter and warmth
2. Don’t let your dog or cat rest on frozen ground
3. Don’t take a dog for long walks outside during freezing weather
4. Don’t leave a pet in a car. Even a few minutes in a cold car can cause hypothermia

In some circumstances dog coats or sweaters should be used before allowing a dog to venture outside and more than one layer may be required – the same rule applies to what a human would wear i.e. the layer closest to the body should be a thin fleece or wool material to provide insulation and carry moisture away from the body.