Stan the dog

It’s getting closer

Tina Holmes — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 07:40:24 +0000

Only a few days now before I set off on the High Peak Trail – please spare a few mins to stop by the donation site and donate a £1 or more.

Thanks xxx

All cash raised helps rescue dogs.

http://www.justgiving.com/highpeakwalk

Over weight pets – a growing problem

Tina Holmes — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:37:42 +0000

There are more and more stories in the media about obesity in pets and some shocking photos can be seen on-line……

This bunny is part of PDSA Pet Fit Club “Flabby rabbit Mariah is quite a diva and used to be smaller than her companion Buttercup, but is now so big her owners struggle to lift her! After weighing in at 6lb, making her 23% overweight, she is now cutting out the carrots to help reduce her curves.”

Dogs and cats suffer as well as we don’t ensure they have the right exercise or give into temptation and feed them fattening treats -

This is Cookie – also from PDSA fit club. “Cookie is a big cat with a personality to match! She has always been a little on the greedy side although she can also be very fussy – her favourite nibble was tuna. But years of overeating mean she is now a whopping 8.39kg, making her around 86% overweight.”

I hate to see pets suffering in this way and realise the owners need help to improve things. I already walk dogs whose owners are at work or unable to walk them for other reasons but now I have decided to do more to help owners help these poor babies -

For rabbits I have Fat busting holidays – http://stanspals.co.uk/content/rabbit-boot-camp

For £30 owners will get their rabbit back on the right track and on the road to recovery with supporting info to use at home to carry on the good work.

For dogs (and cats) I will be offering fitness and weight loss consultations where we can discuss the issues and come up with solutions which may include enrolling pets on a six-week fitness course where I will help them exercise while the owners will over see their diets supported by hints and tips and diet info sheets. http://stanspals.co.uk/content/doggy-stuff

Initial consultations will last approx 45 mins and are followed up with reports and info sheets to help get dogs and cats back on the road to a healthy life – this costs just £20 and there is no obligation to book a fitness course after the session – there will be advice on how owners can do their own fitness course instead to save the pennies and help Fido or Puss lose the pounds.

Face to face consultations are only available in the Swadlincote area but I can now offer this service to online pet owners – send me a message via one of the methods on my contacts page if you want to explore this avenue of help for your pet – http://stanspals.co.uk/content/get-touch-ask-about-any-our-services – this will require you taking a selection of good photos of your pet and some measurements prior to us having an online discussion which will be followed by similar reports and suggestions sent to face to face clients.

Hopefully in this way I can help a few of the very over weight pets I see in my local area.

Dogs and cats need to be fit and active to fully enjoy their lives and those who are overweight suffer from a reduced quality of life.

Building a new pen

Tina Holmes — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 07:19:17 +0000

Busy day planned today with building a new chicken pen for some planned babies! Fertile eggs will be purchased

Feasting in the sun but which one will be a new mum?

Anyone know what dreams mean?

Tina Holmes — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:09:29 +0000

So last night I dreamt that I had got up in the night and cleaned the house from top to bottom – it sparkled!

Then I l loaded up the pile of rubbish in the garden and took it to the tip.

Then the sheds were cleaned out and even hoovered – they had carpets which they don’t in real life – or at least I think they don’t I have not seen the floor for years!

The chickens and quail houses were cleaned out and had nice fresh bedding and then the dogs were brushed and bathed until they shone as well!

The lawn was mowed and the flower beds weeded and the outside windows cleaned before the paths got swept. My home and pets were perfect.

When I woke up I was shattered and the house and garden were a mess! Not fair! I’ve cleaned out the animals but now I need a rest after that night of hard work!!

The Squat challenge!

Tina Holmes — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 07:56:40 +0000

As the date for our sponsored walk supporting Border Collie Trust gets closer I knew I needed to be a bit fitter so agreed to take part in a 30 day squat challenge. For this you start with a low (they claim!) number of squats and build up daily to over 200 a day.

Well the challenge started yesterday with 50 squats and yes it does hurt! Today I did 55 and it began to hurt at 40 but still I kept going! Heaven knows what will happen when I get to over 200 a day!

Norris who is also walking the trail has joined the squat challenge and she is also doing sit ups – I couldn’t as I need a lie down after the squats! Very impressed that she is able to even think of doing more! Well done Norris.

We need you guys to give us some help – also feel free to join in the squat challenge and send us pics of you doing it – especially if you look even less fit than me! Mainly we need your help to get people giving donations to motivate us – even if you can only spare £1 as it all mounts up. The cash goes to help the rescue dogs at Border Collie Trust so please take a few seconds out of your busy day to spare what you can and if you can’t then tell other people about this and ask them to help the dogs – the work done at the kennels can only carry on if they have the cash to pay the bills

Click here to donate and keep us working hard! – http://www.justgiving.com/highpeakwalk

Stan is my personal trainer!

Tommy wins and Ollie 2 :)

Tina Holmes — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 07:40:08 +0000

This pretty face (sorry Tommy – handsome) won second prize this weekend in the rescue dog class at Stone Festival where we went to raise funds for Border Collie Trust….

The big surprise was that Ollie the Collie who also works hard to raise funds for Border Collie Trust gained 4th place in the fancy dress class where he was escorted by Cathy dressed as a Hogwarts pupil

Sunshine YAY!

Tina Holmes — Fri, 31 May 2013 11:25:18 +0000

We have been so very busy here what with dogs and chickens and now quail as well – here you can see the new quail nip outside for the first time ever…..

Chickens!

Tina Holmes — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 05:20:15 +0000

So at last yesterday this arrived -

Stan and Tommy immediately came to investigate and Stan appeared ready for action – Tommy took a closer look at the boxes and disappeared off to his bed – he does not like work!

We had spent a long time preparing the space where the chicken house was to go as I wanted them to able to roam around the area close to their home as well and this had to be separate from the dogs. We had also invested many hours in shopping around to find the best house including pricing wood and planning to build ourselves. In the end we settled on this one which was the right size and very good value from the Aquatic and Pet Warehouse in Swadlincote.

Stan tried to convince me that arranged like this the bits made a good sleeping shelter from the breeze…. I was not convinced and set about reading the instructions for assembly.

Stan worked hard testing each section as it was built up.

He even drank out of the water containers to see if they were working properly – he even tasted the chicken food!

While all this work was going on Tommy was catching up on his beauty sleep!

When all the hard work was done Stan stood guard and waited for the new additions to the family.

We set off to visit Sunnyside poultry where Ian helped us select six lovely girls to live in the new house and surrounding chicken pen. If you need to know anything about keeping poultry Ian is the one to ask – he is very friendly and helpful.

Our new girls made the short trip home in a dog crate.

They were popped inside the house and left in peace to settle in over night.

Early this morning they were allowed out to explore their new home.

Already they are showing that they all have individual personalities and you will get to hear much more about them as time goes on.

Chicken house is coming!

Tina Holmes — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:08:41 +0000

It has been a sad week and today I was feeling pretty down but then I got some great news – my new chicken house has arrived at the shop and will be delivered tomorrow. I shopped around for ages and selected one from Aquatic, Pet and Garden-Warehouse in Swadlincote – if you are local I would recommend them for this type of thing – catch them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aquatic-Pet-and-Garden-Warehouse/319058951512138?fref=ts

Hopefully we will have chickens by next week – watch this space

The boys have been studying all types of poultry – on their walk today they had a look at water fowl and next they want ducks!

It could be hatch day….

Tina Holmes — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 08:11:48 +0000

Well we have done loads and loads of reading and after all our research we now know that the quail could hatch today…. or tomorrow…. or the next day or anywhere up to 26 days from when they went under heat!

Google can answer most questions the only problem is you get so many right answers!

This morning they still looked like this -

In just a few days we could be looking after these little guys – hatch day is less than a week away now!

Stan and Tommy are now just waiting…..

The boys waiting to meet the babies