Animal Rescue with Marion Garnett
Dedicated animal expert Marion Garnett, founder of the Ealing Animal Charities Fair, continues her column
DO you sometimes feel as though you deserve special treatment? Whether or not you get it, is a different matter. Fortunately for Marley, he’s getting a touch of special treatment, at the moment, but he deserves it.
Marley’s world turned upside down when he came into the care of Dogs Trust as his previous owner didn’t have enough time for him. Coming into kennels left Marley struggling to cope.
So, to help him settle, Dogs Trust lets Marley spend the day in Reception where he has lots of company and attention.
Then, at the end of the day, the special treatment continues, when a member of staff takes him home with her for the night. Marley might not have many cards to play but he certainly knows how to play the ones he’s got.
Marley is an eight-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier who is very affectionate towards people. He loves going on gentle walks and exploring. He could happily play with his toys all day. However, he prefers not to socialise with other dogs and, therefore, needs to be the only dog in the home. If you think you could help Marley feel special in your home, see more details at dogstrust.org.uk including about the rehoming process during lockdown. Dogs have a habit of making owners feel pretty special too.
Also, on their website, Dogs Trust has lots of advice about caring for dogs during lockdown. This includes information on how to look after your dog if you’re unwell and self-isolating and how to prevent separation anxiety.
Although they might be outweighed by the negatives, there are some positive aspects of lockdown.
One advantage is that events we might not normally be able to attend are now taking place either free or at a reduced cost and more people can take part.
I know this means they are likely to be online rather than in the original venue but it does mean more of us can have a taste of the event. One of these is the Mayhew Carol Evening. I’ve always wanted to go to this but tickets are invariably snapped up quickly.
No excuse this year. On December 8 (7pm-8pm), the animal rescue centre, Mayhew, is hosting an online evening of special guest readings and festive performances. Tickets are £10 per household or £5 concessions.
The evening is hosted by Arlene Phillips with live readings by celebrities. There is also a raffle. For details and tickets, go to themayhew.org.