If no one minds, this week I am going to dedicate my blog to
just one subject.
It isn't fashion, cars, lifestyle or an event, but cats and
dogs. I'm going to talk to you entirely about Battersea Dogs &
Cats Home.
As some of you may know, a close friend sponsored a kennel for
me at Battersea almost a year ago. I was so moved by their work
that I wanted to help and make a bigger difference than simply the
kennel sponsorship. So now, I am very proud to say that I am going
to be the first ever ambassador for the world famous Battersea Dogs
& Cats Home. (To be honest, I think the kind people there
thought I may never leave unless they gave me a title!)
I literally cannot leave Battersea until I have said hello and
made a fuss of every single dog there. I'm there for hours...and
don't ever put me in with the puppies!
In 2010, Battersea celebrated its 150 year anniversary. Now, if
your maths is as bad as mine, that means it opened in 1960 (see
told you my maths was bad). I mean 1860 and in that time its aim
has always been to never turn a dog or cat away. This means
that they care for almost 10,000 animals a year at a daily running
cost of about £36,000, all financed by voluntary donations and
legacies.
As you can imagine there are many areas of the home that I could
talkabout and raise awareness of. However, there is one particular
campaign and issue that really broke my heart from my first few
visits to Battersea, so for now, I thought I'd share that with
you.
The dog pictured above is Cleo. She is one of three
Staffordshire Bull Terriers who is facing their second Christmas at
Battersea. They took in almost three thousand Staffies last
year. I know what people think about Staffies - that they have a
bad reputation - and believe me, I thought the same. However,
from what I have seen on a first-hand basis and from what has been
explained to me, that reputation is not reflective of the breed
itself, but down to just a few individual cases (bit like us male
models really hahaha!). Therefore, Battersea have launched a
campaign called 'Staffies. They're softer than you think' helping
us to see Staffies in their true light and to make us think again
about the breed.
The Kennel Club describes them as reliable, highly intelligent
and affectionate, especially with children - and on my visits to
Battersea I can say I was truly astounded by them. They seemed to
be the only breed there that come up with ingenious ways of getting
closer to the visitors in their kennels and the affection they show
is astounding. I guess me, and many others perceive them as
rough and tough and vicious when, in fact, they are such softies
that the breed doesn't do well in kennels because they miss human
affection so much. Ironic, hey? Before their current reputation,
they have even been referred to as the 'Nanny Dog' because of
their affection and protection of children.
Take a look for yourself at this link to see Emma and
Luke Griffith with Dolly the Staffie (pictured below).
It really makes one think about why they have developed such a
negative perception and reputation, and sadly, this is widely due
to some bad owners training them as fighting dogs or using them as
a substitute for a gun or a knife. The reality is that these
same people often throw them onto the streets for not being tough
enough and some Staffies have even been sold on the likes of
Gumtree for £1 or swapped for a Playstation.
Owning a dog is a serious responsibility and you don't need me
to tell you how important it is to think carefully about the
prospect of looking after an animal and the need to really consider
if you are in a position to give it a loving home and the care it
would need.
If you are thinking of owning a dog then I guess what I am
trying to say is please make Battersea your first port of call (you
may even find me there being a general pain to all the staff). But
more than anything, please consider a Staffie! Or, if you know
someone who is considering getting a dog then please spread
the word about Staffies, send them the link to this blog or to
the videos from the 'Softer than you think' page.
Cleo, and the many others at Battersea, can't explain for
themselves how truly wonderful they all are so that's what
Battersea are there for - and now me, too - in the hope that she
and many other dogs will not have to live alone. I will keep
you up to date on my work with Battersea and the
exciting things I'm sure I will be taking part in with
them.
I've talked a lot this week so won't be answering any questions,
but will try to answer as many as I can directly in the comments
page.
One more thing, I'll leave you with this final picture of
Bradley, another Staffie from Battersea that needs a new home.