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National Pet Month fights flab
Image: Rosemary Conley
Keep-fit queen calls for healthy owners and pets

Rosemary Conley, the founder of a string of diet and fitness clubs, has turned her attention to obese animals for National Pet Month.

Raising awareness between April 1 and May 6, Rosemary is urging owners to show love for their pets by providing them with a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Rosemary has lived with pets since she was a child and currently owns three dogs – two black labradors and a lurcher-whippet cross.

She explained that pets can have a positive impact on people's lives, using the example that dog ownership is a great way to get fit and stay fit.

"It's important for people to look after their pet's weight as much as their own weight," she commented. "Research has shown that dog owners tend to be a stone lighter than non-dog owners.

"Dogs provide us with a wonderful reason to go out walking – one of the easiest and best fitness activities you can do. As one doctor once said to me, 'dogs should be prescribed on the NHS'!"

Rosemary added that giving pets endless treats just because they ask for them surmounts to pet cruelty and leads to heart disease, hyper-tension, joint problems and arthritis.

To accompany the advice, National Pet Month is asking pet owners to look at the following three ways to help pets maintain a safe weight:
  • Don't be tempted to give table scraps as these are often too high in calories for pets – one chunk of cheese for your cat is the equivalent to nine chunks of cheese for an average-size woman.
  • If you are feeding specially-formulated pet treats, don't over do it – look out for lighter varieties too. Remember to take any treats into consideration at mealtimes and adjust the amount you feed accordingly, without disrupting their nutritional balance.
  • Check your pet's weight routinely – click here to use the Pet Size-O-Meter as a comparison.

National Pet Month is currently in its 24th year, encouraging responsible ownership among pet owners, which amounts to almost half of the UK's households.

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Birmingham Dogs Home makes urgent appeal

News Story 1
 Birmingham Dogs Home has issued an urgent winter appeal as it faces more challenges over the Christmas period.

The rescue centre has seen a dramatic increase in dogs coming into its care, and is currently caring for over 200 dogs. With rising costs and dropping temperatures, the charity is calling for urgent support.

It costs the charity £6,000 per day to continue its work.

Fi Harrison, head of fundraising and communications, said: "It's heart-breaking for our team to see the conditions some dogs arrive in. We really are their last chance and hope of survival."

More information about the appeal can be found here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Avian flu confirmed at premises in Cornwall

A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has been detected in commercial poultry at a premises near Rosudgeon, Cornwall.

All poultry on the infected site will be humanely culled, and a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place. Poultry and other captive birds in the 3km protection zone must be housed.

The case is the second avian flu case confirmed in commercial poultry this month. The H5N5 strain was detected in a premises near Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, in early November. Before then, the disease had not been confirmed in captive birds in England since February.

The UK chief veterinary officer has urged bird keepers to remain alert and practise robust biosecurity.

A map of the disease control zones can be found here.