Feed the Birds

Here at Amazing PR we have always been advocates of buying British wherever possible. However, with the Olympics and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee upon us we have recently become more patriotic than ever and have been keen to seek out and support our home grown produce wherever possible.

Nonetheless, although we will often choose British grown or produced food for ourselves, not only to support local farmers but also for the benefits to our environment and wildlife (not to mention it is a lot more cost effective) we seldom pay as much attention to ‘Buy British’ when it comes to our pets and, for those that do, the wildlife we feed. Here in the UK we are known as a nation of bird lovers and one in three of us now supports and encourages wildlife in our gardens. In order to help protect our environment and wildlife it makes sense that the source of the birdfood we feed them should be as local as possible. Natural gardening company Wiggly Wigglers have recently launched an all-British seed mix which, believe it or not, is the first of its kind in the UK.As birdseed typically includes ingredients which can not be grown here, such as peanuts, it is often exported and shipped long distances and therefore more expensive and carbon footprint heavy. Wiggly Wigglers seed is sown, grown, cleaned, mixed and bagged entirely by British Farmers and the mixture of black sunflower seeds, indigo wheat, rolled oats, rapeseed, millet, linseed, canary seed and a little oyster grit, is guaranteed to attract visitors to your bird table. The seed has been designed to support a wide range of birds so you may have some new guests and as it is free flowing it can be used in feeders as well as on your bird table.

Wiggly Wigglers Birdseed is available through selected farmshops, garden centres and online at www.wigglywigglers.co.uk.

Hugo & Hennie

Regular readers of this blog will know that here at Amazing PR our beloved company mascot, aka Tibetan Spaniel Mojai, rules the roost and like us, he is partial to the finer things in life. From his fondness for organic treats to his bespoke dog coats and office water-bed for the warmer months, Mojai is always one paw ahead of the pack and wouldn’t dare settle for the mass-produced products his contemporaries have to put up with. In order to cater to Mojai’s exquisite taste we are constantly on the look out for unique brands that both satisfy his high standards yet still maintain a practical element and blend into our existing decor.

Hugo & Hennie was created by mother and daughter team, Carol Cooper and Katie L’Herpiniere who wanted to produce quality products for dogs that were both beautiful and useful. Tired of having to quickly hide the less-than attractive dog beds every time guests came round, Carol and Katie wanted to create appealing and practical products that both owner and dog will love and that blend seamlessly into any home. Their range of dog beds and unique crate covers (that transform the most mundane dog crates in a flash) are all handmade in the UK to ensure that the are of the highest quality. Keen campaigners of ‘buying British’ Carol and Katie want to encourage everyone to support British-made products and pride themselves on the workmanship and high quality of their products which are designed to last for years. Not only do their furnishings look stylish in any setting they are also practical and feature removable and machine-washable handmade covers and optional waterproof inners. Hugo & Hennie are careful to only offer a number of prints and colours to choose from which they change seasonally to ensure each colour combination is not mass produced and so you can be safe in the knowledge that your dog has a unique bed which can be updated by buying a new cover. They also offer a bespoke service where customers can use an ‘interactive designer’ on their website to pick and choose from a selection of fabrics and design a bed that works perfectly for any colour scheme. Mojai certainly approves...

Give a dog a home.

With the arrival of the New Year comes the dreaded making of one’s resolutions; a chance to look at the year ahead, set challenges and make promises that one invariably fails to keep. And at The Amazing Blog's HQ in Chelsea we've been busy discussing ours.  There is the ‘lose half a stone’ that I, along with most of the female population have sought to do; the ‘drink eight glasses of water’ in the hope of achieving a glowing complexion, and of course the ‘drink less wine’; a challenge I find so alarming I find an insurmountable urge to sit down with said pinot. This year however, I also made the resolution to find a charity to support whose ethos I am passionate about; thus making a New Year’s Resolution that shouldn’t be a struggle to keep. When chatting to our lovely client Louise Sandberg (fellow dog owner) she told me that she was importing a new friend for her dog all the way from Thailand. She told me that on a recent trip to Thailand, she was so shocked by the number of strays that she was determined to help publicise the organisation  Soi Dog Foundation in the UK; who are desperately looking for donations to help save the dogs and cats affected by the recent severe flooding in the Bangkok region.

As owner of the much loved Tibetan Spaniel, Mojai, my heart went out to the thousands of animals who have been effectively ‘orphaned’ after large scale evacuations during which those being evacuated were not allowed to take their pets with them.

This is where the Soi Dog Foundation comes in a not-for-profit, registered charity with branches in Thailand, the US, Australia, the UK, France and Holland. Made up of volunteers and fundraisers, their common goal is to help neglected and abused cats and dogs. Without the tireless work put in by the Soi Dog Foundation, these abandoned animals may have to spend the rest of their lives in government shelters, without the care, love and affection they really deserve.

Both the work the Soi Dog Foundation do and their efforts in reinstating these animals to good homes is incredibly inspiring but they desperately need donations in order to support the continued rescue which, sadly, is far from over. In fact, having recently intercepted 4 trucks on their way to Vietnam carrying over 1000 dogs, they need your help more than ever. Donations can be made on either a one-off or a monthly basis, and really will make the world of difference to their diligent campaign.

With a fab new blog and an active Facebook page it's never been easier to keep track of exactly how your donations are helping.

So if like me, you want to make a New Year’s Resolution you can keep, support a very worthy cause and dig deep. http://www.soidog.org

Give a Dog a Home!

Accompanying Amazing PR’s mascot – Tibetan Spaniel Mojai – to the Vet’s, is always an interesting experience. Thankfully the lovely people at Roehampton Veterinary Clinic always make Mojai’s visits to Richard Bleckman, head surgeon, as pain-free as possible, for both Mojai and ourselves! And so, the other week, while idling away the time with said dog, who was doing his usual angst fuelled puffing and panting in the waiting room, with a lot of fuss over a teeny weeny jab, I got talking to an extraordinary woman called Trudie James, founder of dog charity Doris Banham Dog Rescue.

Set up in memory of her Mother, the ethos of the charity will always be rooted in Trudie’s lifelong conviction that all life is special – including that of dogs. What I didn’t previously realise was that council pounds are able to euthanase a dog after only seven days if it hasn’t been reclaimed by its owner. Therefore a much loved pet lost in the park could be put to sleep after just one week if their owner did not manage to locate the pound they had been taken to and reclaim them in time. And when you take into consideration the vast amount – tens of thousands in fact, of dogs that are stolen each year often and end up in council pounds; it paints a pretty bleak picture for a lot of beloved pets.

Thus, Doris Banham Dog Rescue makes exhaustive effort to save the lives of lots of dogs who are needy, disorientated, scared and living in difficult conditions.

The charity relies solely on donations and grants, of which 100% are spent on saving dogs. This demands dedication, patience, resources and a wonderful team of committed volunteers, all of whom pay their own expenses. Since its conception, the Doris Banham Dog Rescue has rescued more than ten thousand dogs, and would save so many more if funding allowed. To emphasise our support for what we believe is a truly worthy cause, Amazing PR will make a donation for every new follower we get on either Facebook or Twitter during the month of November. So join us in helping to support this dedicated charity’s fantastic work.

For more information on the Doris Banham Dog Rescue or to make a donation yourself, visit their website.

We're Just Walking the Dog...

I know there are lots of you out there who, like me, love nothing better than spoiling your little furry friend to a treat or two whenever the mood takes your fancy.  Regardless of both the shop and the price tag, if I find something that my Tibetan Spaniel would like, then I rarely think twice about buying it. And I'm sure you'll agree that seeing the pure joy on their faces when said gift is given makes the splurge even more worthwhile. So, much to my delight, I’ve come across a fabulous new lead, fantastic for both pet and owner. Introduced by Dog Adorers, my Wrist Walker set means I can take Mojai (the aforementioned Tibetan Spaniel) to the shops with me, and by attaching the Wrist Walker to my wrist and adjusting it for a comfortable and secure fit, it means that I can keep both hands free so I don’t have a limit to my shopping. So a win for Mojai, and an even bigger win for me! All Dog Adorer products are manufactured in the UK and the Wrist Walker also comes with a double ended lead and a pooh bag pouch; so pretty much everything you need in a lead.  Dog Adorers also sell an Ankle Anchor (bit of a tongue twister that one!) which is born of the same concept as the Wrist Walker but made for ankles; both products are made with thin width webbing and lined with beautifully soft patterned fabrics, my favourite being the Zebra print on black webbing. As well as being a handy tool for shopping excursions, the Wrist Walker is also brilliantly handy for those with small children or push chairs, as unlike conventional leads it doesn’t restrict the owner, and allows you to keep full control of both dogs and children at the same time! So whether you want to free your hands up for shopping bags or buggies, grab yourself a Wrist Walker pronto...Mojai doesn’t know it yet but next time we’re out for a walk this is going to be my new version of hands free!

The Dog Adorers Wrist Walker and Ankle Anchor sets can be bought online here and is retailed at £11.00.