Animal Rescue with Marion Garnett
Dedicated animal expert Marion Garnett, founder of the Ealing Animal Charities Fair, continues her column
Last week, we looked at ways of keeping pets, particularly dogs, occupied during the lockdown. This week, we’re looking at ways, which involve animals, of keeping people, including children, occupied. So, if you’re tearing your hair out, read on.
The National Animal Welfare Trust (NAWT) have educational resources which can be adapted for use at home. These include word search puzzles and poster design ideas. They are also organising an online pet photo competition. Categories include Caught in the Act and Family Portrait. See details at nawt.org.uk. Entries cost £1 each.
If you’re interested in writing, Nowzad are organising a short story competition. Nowzad is a charity which helps animals in war zones. They also have an animal shelter in Afghanistan. It’s appropriate for them to organise a writing competition as their founder, ex-marine commando Pen Farthing, is a best-selling author. The theme is anything Nowzad. For details of their work and the competition see nowzad.com. Entries must be 500 words or less and should be accompanied by a minimum donation of £10 per entry. The closing date is 20 April 2020.
Starting last week, the animal rescue centre, Mayhew, is hosting a weekly online quiz. You can play either on your phone or on a computer. The quiz goes live at 12pm every Thursday and you will have until 1pm to play. As you play, your score will appear on the live leaderboard. At the end of the hour, the overall winner will receive a £10 Amazon gift voucher. Places are limited, so you need to secure your place in advance. It costs £2 to enter. For details see themayhew.org.
And then, specifically for children, there is the fabulous Animal Action magazine produced by the RSPCA which has masses of competitions, puzzles and information about animals. For details, go to rspca.org.uk, then click on Get Involved followed by the Young People tab.
Don’t forget that this RSPCA website is also one of the places where you can get advice on pet care during the Covid-19 crisis.
Waiting for the crisis to be over is Tilly, a lovely timid girl whose world was turned upside down after her owner could no longer care for her and she came into the care of the NAWT. Many of us probably feel our world is upside down, too, at the moment, but when it’s the right way up and the crisis is over, this gorgeous girl will be available for homing from NAWT, Tylers Way, Watford by Pass.