Animal Rescue with Marion Garnett
Dedicated animal expert MARION GARNETT, founder of the Ealing Animal Charities Fair continues her column
“SUMMERTIME and the livin’ is easy” – despite what the song says, maybe not that easy if we’re too hot.
Even today, there’s another report of police having to rescue two dogs left in a car in the baking sun.
As well as never, ever shutting an animal in a car on a warm day, care needs to be taken in other ways to help animals cope in hot weather.
This includes ensuring animals always have access to shade and fresh drinking water or walking dogs in the early morning or evening to avoid the midday sun.
This should also help avoid the risk of dogs burning their paws on hot pavements and the risk of heatstroke. Cats often like to stretch out on surfaces such as tiled floors to maximise their contact with a cool surface.
We also need to remember animals in pens/enclosures such as rabbits and guinea pigs. If these animals are being kept as pets, they are completely dependent on their owner for their welfare, who has a duty to be vigilant, in all weathers.
A lazy afternoon in the countryside is just the image Heyward and Gershwin’s song, Summertime, can conjure up in the mind and Mayhew’s Hounds on the Heath, on Hampstead Heath, fits the bill exactly.
Taking place on Sunday July 15 (11am-4pm), this fabulous free event has stalls, food, activities for dogs and a VIP-judged dog show hosted by comedian and singer Vikki Stone.
Hounds on the Heath is located on the Hampstead Heath cricket pitch opposite Parliament Hill Café. The nearest stations are Gospel Oak, Hampstead Heath and Tufnell Park.
At present, Don Corleone is just one of the animals in Mayhew’s care. Don was wandering the streets as an injured stray before being taken to Mayhew. When he arrived he had an abscess on his neck, but this has now healed.
This friendly boy has been stressed in the past and can be shy at first but is looking for a relaxed home with no dogs or other cats. If you are interested in homing Don, see details at themayhew.org and meet him at Mayhew, Trenmar Gardens, Kensal Green.
Finally, an all-party Parliamentary group has recently been launched which is devoted to the welfare of cats (called APGOCATS). It will focus on developing animal welfare policies with cats in mind and exploring how cat ownership can benefit human wellbeing by, for example, helping with social isolation.