7th December 2023 • The HERALD • Page 55 v SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SPECIALISTS v ANIMAL MAGIC Experienced Professional Caring Complete Dog Grooming Service Now taking on new clients for 2024 07903 271342 Forestsidegrooming.co.uk Dog-Friendly Screening: The Muppet Christmas Carol at Harbour Lights Spreading a Little Happiness Sarah Archer, 56, from Surrey, was duped by an unscrupulous breeder when buying her puppy, Blue, online. Sarah was looking for a ‘sprocker’ - a Springer/Cocker Spaniel cross - but soon realised that she had been sold an entirely di erent dog. A er seeing the advert for Blue, Sarah went to visit the pups in a maisonette but found it suspicious that the at was all packed up. ere were only three of the puppies from the litter there and no mum - the seller claimed she was moving the next day. “I foolishly went to an address where there were three puppies that looked like sprockers,” says Sarah. “I was told the mum was with family and shown a picture on a phone, which was supposedly the pups’ mum. I paid cash and took my puppy, Blue, home.” e breeder didn’t ask Sarah any questions or show any interest in the home her pup was going too. On taking Blue home, Sarah quickly realised he was not a sprocker: “He didn’t look like a sprocker, he was too short coated and none of the feathering on his tail, legs or ears. Intrigued I searched the seller’s phone number on the website we found Blue on, and different puppy litters and ads came up. I suspect this ‘breeder’ actually just bought them in and sold them on.” Sarah ordered a DNA test and found Blue had no spaniel DNA in him and actually was mostly hound. On re ection Sarah shared: “As a dog lover I’m embarrassed I was taken in and didn’t see any red flags when I got Blue. I tell everyone how daft I was and I’m just grateful he turned out to be a wonderful dog and luckily had no health issues. His strong instincts and hound nature have been quite a challenge, but we worked hard to train him and we On Sunday 17th December at 11am, Harbour Lights Cinema in Ocean Village are inviting dog-owners to go and enjoy everyone’s favourite festive lm, e Muppet Christmas Carol, with their furry best friends in tow! Don’t have a dog? You’re welcome to go along and enjoy the atmosphere too! For human customers, they will have hot chocolate, mulled wine and mince pies a-plenty - and for the dogs, they are thrilled to once again invite local puptisserie e Angelic Kitchen to the foyer to sell pet-friendly treats on the day. If you attend this screening with a dog, you will be issued with a eece blanket to cover the seat used by the dog or to use as a rug if the dog sits on the oor. e limit is one dog to one adult. During the screenings, they will provide bowls of water around the screen and leave the lighting levels a little higher than usual during the screening and lower the volume of the soundtrack. Tickets for the dog-friendly show can be booked here: link: picturehouses. com/movie-details/003/HO00011425/ dog-friendly-screening-the-muppetchristmas-carol owners know exactly what to look for when buying a puppy, to avoid being duped. Scammers and puppy farmers are clever and will do what they can to disguise their cruel trade so it’s important to be extremely vigilant. Puppy buyers should make sure they’re asking the right questions, see the puppy, with their mum and in their home environment, and step back if things don’t feel right.” Following this urgent warning, e Kennel Club is urging people to ‘Be Puppywise’ and providing responsible puppy buying advice and practical resources on its website: thekennelclub. org.uk/bepuppywise. Dog-Friendly Screening at Harbour Lights now do dog agility.” A er Blue, Sarah went on to get two more dogs, both from Kennel Club Assured Breeders. Sarah shared: “What a different experience! I was interviewed by the breeder to make sure I was a suitable owner, and I saw the puppies twice, with mum, before being able to take them home. We were updated every step of the way before they came home and kept in touch after too. We were given loads of information about health, how to look after a puppy, feeding and training, and microchip and worming details. Our breeder clearly cared about the breed, the puppy and me.” Worryingly, Sarah was not alone in her experience when buying Blue, as new research from e Kennel Club released as part of the organisation’s Be Puppywise campaign found nearly one in two (46%) of puppy buyers in the South East experience complications when buying a puppy – from the pup looking di erent to the one advertised or being charged more than previously agreed, to facing behavioural or health problems when getting their pet home. Mark Beazley, Chief Executive of e Kennel Club, commented: “With the world of puppy breeding and buying getting more and more difficult to navigate, it’s crucial that would-be Blue as a puppy BE PUPPYWISE TO AVOID BEING SCAMMED A er co-ordinating a collection of shoeboxes from local donors, Hythe & Waterside Rotary delivered them safely to the Rotary District Depot in Boscombe. As part of the Wessex Rotary Shoebox Scheme, the boxes lled with gi s for disadvantaged and displaced children in Eastern Europe will now be transported to their nal destination in Albania, Montenegro, Moldova or Romania. ese gi s will de nitely spread a little happiness as they will quite possibly be the rst real gi s these children have received in a very long time. Just under 200 shoe boxes were collected in the Hythe & Waterside area. A total of 18,669 were collected at the District Depot and these will be going to Eastern Europe early in December. A number of these boxes will be going to Ukrainian children who are refugees as well as to those who are in need in the countries of destination. Hythe & Waterside Rotarian, Maurice Rowles, who managed the local collection says: “We would like to thank all those people who contributed again this year. This is always really worthwhile and truly makes a difference”. Hythe & Waterside Rotary would also like to thank Meadens of Hythe who sponsored the use of a van again this year, which allowed the safe delivery of the boxes to the District Depot. Depot staff greeting Hythe & Waterside Rotarians Maurice Rowles and Jean Adams with husband Charlie Adams who drove the van from Hythe to Boscombe Railway Correspondence and Travel Society (RCT) and Mid Hants Railway, Solent Branch meetings are held in association with Mid Hants Railway – Southampton and Waterside Group. Meetings are held at the Eastleigh Railway Institute, Romsey Road Eastleigh SO50 9FE and commence at 7.30pm. e room, on the rst oor (sorry no disabled access), is usually open from 7pm. A bar is available for refreshments. eir next meeting is on Wednesday 20th December for 15 in 15. Followed on Wednesday 17th January for Branch AGM at 6.30pm to 7.30pm, followed at 7.30pm for ‘Railways of the Past (Part 2). A donation of £3 is usual to help with the costs of the speaker and room hire. Nonmembers are very welcome at their meetings. Further details can be obtained from John Godfrey on: 07850 220009 or email: solent@rcts.org.uk 15 in 15 e next New Forest Militaria Fair will be on Wednesday 3rd January from 7pm to 9.30pm in the Colbury Church Rooms, Deerleap Lane, Colbury (near Ashurst) SO40 7EH. ere are stalls o ering a variety of militaria items, and these events are an ideal venue for dealers, collectors and enthusiasts to get together to buy, sell, swap, exhibit and talk about all aspects of militaria. All are welcome and admission is £1. Anyone who would like to pre-book a table at £6, should call Dave Curtis on: 07903 600865 or: 023 8178 1324. Forest Militaria
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