Animal Rescue with Marion Garnett
Dedicated animal expert Marion Garnett, founder of the Ealing Animal Charities Fair, continues her column
EARLIER today, I opened the most fabulous hand cream I’ve ever been given. It smells divine. The only problem is, it’s so thick, I can’t get it out of the bottle. It must be a bit like dogs who are given interactive feeders. They know the food is in there, it smells delicious but it takes time to get it out.
Fortunately for dogs with birthdays looming, forget having to work for your slice of cake.
Battersea Dogs and Cats Home have shown us how to make a dog birthday cake which, as a treat, can be sliced up and handed out on a plate. Many cake recipes claim to be dog-friendly but include ingredients which aren’t recommended for dogs such as baking powder. Battersea’s recipe is easy to make and looks stunning, particularly as it’s decorated with mashed potato. See battersea.org.uk for instructions.
Of course, this cake doesn’t just have to be for a birthday, it could also be made to celebrate events such as, the anniversary of the day a rescued dog was adopted – its “Gotcha Day”.
Leema still hasn’t had his “Gotcha Day” and he may have to wait for a while yet. This is because, although Battersea have now restarted homing their animals, Leema needs to go to a home where he can live with another dog. But, because of social distancing rules, Battersea are not, at present, able to do introductions to another dog already living in the home.
This 4 year old Shih Tzu is a sensitive boy who hasn’t had a good start in life. He has no understanding of what it’s like to live in a home and needs owners who have the patience to help him adjust to the new environment. He needs to live with a well-behaved dog from whom he can take his social cues to help him grow in confidence.
With guidance, he has the potential to make a wonderful pet. If you are interested, see more details at battersea.co.uk.
During the coronavirus outbreak, special arrangements for rehoming are in place. Battersea’s centres are not yet open to visitors.
Now for some different news. Since the lockdown began, I know that some readers have been unable to access a local paper and read this column. So, just to let you know that this column is now available online. Go to ealinganimalsfair.london and click on the tab labelled ‘Weekly Column.’ You can also catch up there with some of the columns you have missed.