Herald - Issue 391

Page 34 • The HERALD • 25th June 2020 v SAY YOU SAW IT IN THE HERALD v Fully polished Granites 30” high from £555 inc VAT Fully polished Grey/Black Granite 24” high from £455 inc VAT Yours Faithfully... You are invited to BETHANY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP Rollestone Road, Holbury Every Sunday, 6.20pm for 6.30pm C hristian W orship & T eaching • Last Thursday of the Month C offee M orning 10.15-11.45am 023 8089 2153 Everyone Welcome And so, I write another letter for this rst paper edition of e Herald since lockdown, and well done to them for continuing to keep our community informed and encouraged in these days. ank you to all the community groups and people on the Waterside who are working hard to safeguard and help us all. Writing three weeks before publication is a bit tricky – I am sincerely hoping that the rate of infection from this virus will have fallen by now and that we might be able to see more of our treasured activities resuming. It remains a dangerous time however because we are all faced with decisions. e church in this nation will not be physically gathering for some time yet as we continue to work out what it means to be a scattered people following Jesus. We are learning much and we would love to hear from you. A recent survey by TEAR fund suggested that nearly half of adults in the UK (44%) say they pray at the moment. Nearly a quarter (24%) of UK adults say they have watched or listened to a religious service since lockdown. I wonder whether you are one of these people and whether you are investigating whether faith can make sense to you in these times. As a Christian I sincerely believe that those who seek will nd and that the God who is revealed in Jesus Christ is worth meeting and following in good times and bad. Whilst, as I have written previously, our circumstances pose di cult questions for faith today I hope that you will go on seeking, discussing and investigating and in doing so will nd real transformation when we move into whatever ‘new normal’ is ahead of us. With best wishes to you all Yours faithfully Eddie Boon, Cornerstone Church, Hythe DEAR HERALD READERS For many, the new measures surrounding exercise during the lockdown period will have come as great respite. Being able to travel to di erent places to keep healthy and t adds freedom to our daily lives. However, there are some that may not see it the same way, and they are the nation’s wildlife. At this time of year, birds and animals are busy making nests and raising families. e enforced lockdown has meant that many outdoor spaces haven’t been frequented by people and dogs as much as usual. is pause in normal behaviour has given wildlife a rare opportunity to build their homes in places they may not have done in previous years. Now that the lockdown rules have been relaxed, and with people returning to areas where wildlife has been populating, some birds and animals may have become less accustomed to With the Government easing some driving restrictions, vets are reminding pet owners not to leave their dogs in a car even for a short time. e British Veterinary Association (BVA) has teamed up with a coalition of rescue and rehoming charities, police, and welfare organisations to highlight the dangers of warm weather to dogs as part of the annual Dogs Die in Hot Cars campaign. e coalition group launched this year’s campaign just a week a er the Government announcement allowing families to go out in their cars for exercise and leisure again, providing they adhere to social distancing. British Veterinary Association President Daniella Dos Santos said: “Vets all too often see the unfortunate and sometimes tragic consequences of dogs being left on their own in cars on a warm day. With warm days forecast, more people are expected to take car journeys for exercise or leisure to take advantage of the sunshine. We’d urge pet owners not to leave any animal in a car while out and about, even if it is for a short trip to the supermarket. Temperatures can rise quickly inside a vehicle even when it doesn’t feel that hot outside, which is why ‘not long’ can end up being too long for your beloved pet. This is especially vital at a time when strict social distancing measures mean vets are only able to see essential cases and may have smaller teams working in the practice as they try to do everything they can to look after pets while protecting clients and themselves.” In BVA’s most recent Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey on hot weather risks (Autumn 2018), a quarter (26%) of the vets who had treated dogs for heat-related conditions that summer reported at least one of these cases was the result of a dog having being le in a car. is is equivalent to almost one in seven vets (13%) having seen a dog come into their practice su ering as a result of being le in a hot car. In the past 10 years the RSPCA has received 72,733 complaints to its emergency hotline about animals in hot environments, the majority of which relate to dogs in hot cars. e real number of dogs being le in hot cars is expected to be much higher as the main advice is to contact police to report an incident. e Dogs Die in Hot Cars coalition has issued the following advice on what to do if you see a dog in a car on a hot day: • In an emergency, it is best to dial 999 and report a dog in a hot car to police. e RSPCA may not be able to attend quickly enough and, with no powers of entry, they would need police assistance at such an incident. • If the situation becomes critical and police can’t attend, many people’s instinct is to break into the car to free the dog. But please be aware that, without proper justi cation, this could be classed as criminal damage. Make sure you tell the police of your intentions and take photos or footage of the dog as well as names and numbers of witnesses. e law states that you have a lawful excuse to commit damage if you believe that the owner of the property that you damage would consent to the damage if they knew the circumstances. • Once removed from the car, move the dog to a shaded or cool area and douse him/her with small amounts of room-temperature water. Allow the dog to drink small amounts of cool water. • If the dog isn’t displaying signs of heatstroke (such as heavy panting, restlessness, and lack of coordination), establish how long the dog has been in the car and make a note of the registration. If in a public parking lot, ask a member of sta to make an announcement of the situation over the tannoy, if possible, and get someone to stay with the dog to monitor its condition. BIRD AWARE people making them more sensitive to your presence. Due to the additional risk of disturbance, four conservation organisations have got together to highlight what people can do to help our wildlife. You can watch the short video featuring Bird Aware Solent – a partnership of Solent councils – The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, Thames Basin Heaths Partnership and Bird Wise here - https://bit. ly/2JAnzMZ Councillor Seán Woodward is Chairman of the Partnership for South Hampshire (PfSH), a body that oversees Bird Aware, observes: ‘ When you are out enjoying the coast and the countryside please consider the wildlife. By doing simple things like keeping dogs close and staying on paths we can all make a positive difference.” Oystercatcher. Dogs Die in Hot Cars Reminder