Herald - Issue 412

16th September 2021 • The HERALD • Page 31 v SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES v ANIMAL MAGIC 38 Pylewell Road, Hythe, Southampton, Hants SO45 6AQ Tel: (023) 8084 1000 Fax: (023) 8084 5651 www.hythevets.co.uk An Independent Local Practice The Pet Healthcare Centre PROMOTING POSITIVE PRACTICE IN CANINE OWNERSHIP, WELFARE & UNDERSTANDING • Rescue dogs in need of homes • E-learning courses for dog owners • FREE courses and resources • Training and behaviour consultancy • Gift vouchers • We are a not- for-profit organisation • Donate your unwanted dog equipment • Help us to help them www.dogs2fosteruk.org Telephone 023 8178 1707 OUT & ABOUT WITH THE RSPB Win Tickets for Dogstival 2022! e RSPB New Forest Local Group’s next outing is on Saturday 25th September to Hengistbury Head (SZ 162 911) from 10am to 1pm, meeting outside the Hikers Café (car park charges apply). e next indoor meeting of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) New Forest Local Group will be held at 7.30pm onWednesday 13th October at Lyndhurst Community Centre, High Street, Lyndhurst SO43 7NY (doors open 7pm). A er a short Annual General Meeting, Wild New Forest will talk about their challenge to record 2,020 New Forest species over the course of the year 2020. All meetings are subject to current COVID-19 restrictions. For any further information, please email: newforestgroup@RSPB.org.uk or visit: www.rspb.org. uk/groups/newforest. ose taking part in eld trips should wear suitable, dull coloured clothing and sturdy footwear. Admission at indoor meetings for non-members is currently £5 per evening. Did you visit Dogstival this year? If so they have put together a little (and it is very short!) survey that will help improve their future events, they would be really grateful if you could spare two minutes of your time in-between walkies and cuddles to help them out. As a little incentive they will be choosing two winners at random , either a family weekend ticket, or a pair of adult weekend tickets for Dogstival 2022. Keep your nose to the ground for their 2022 dates - With a special surprise planned for next year! Is your dog’s behaviour causing you concern? Would you like to nd out why they behave like this and how to change it permanently? Complete our FREE consultation form at: www.dogs2fosteruk.org now to get the professional advice you need to live a happier life with your canine companion. Contact us on: 023 8178 1707 to speak to a canine behaviour consultant. ARE YOU AND YOUR DOG HAPPY? by Dogs2Foster Scoop yourself FREE tickets for next year’s Dogstival OUT IN THE FRESH AIR? BE TICK AWARE! Hampshire County Council is urging everyone to be ‘tick aware’ when spending time outdoors, whether in urban and rural parks and gardens, or open countryside. Changeable weather over the past few weeks has created perfect conditions for ticks to be active and these tiny insects can transmit bacteria such as Lyme disease. Councillor Liz Fairhurst, Hampshire’s Executive Lead Member for Adult Services and Public Health, said: “Ticks thrive in the sort of humid weather we’ve been experiencing at the start of the holiday period, so be sure to cover your arms and legs if you are out walking in wooded areas or long grass where they wait to attach themselves to passers-by. Don’t forget to check pets too.” e best way to avoid being bitten by ticks when out walking is to keep to footpaths and avoid long grass. Other advice to people walking in areas known to have a high tick population is to: • Wear appropriate clothing (a long-sleeve shirt and trousers tucked into your socks); • Use an insect repellent • Wear light coloured fabrics that may help you spot a tick on your clothes • Inspect your skin for ticks, particularly at the end of the day, including your head, neck and skin folds (armpits, groin and waist) • Check your children’s head and neck areas, including their scalp • Check that pets do not bring ticks into your home in their fur If you do get bitten by a tick, removing it quickly and correctly can help to reduce any potential risk. e only safe way to remove a tick is to use a pair of ne- tipped tweezers, or an easy-to-use device which can be purchased from pharmacies or vets. en: • Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. Pull upwards slowly and rmly, as mouth parts le in the skin can cause a local infection • Once removed, apply antiseptic to the bite area and keep an eye on it for several weeks for any changes • Contact your GP if you begin to feel unwell or develop a circular red skin rash, o en described as a bull’s-eye rash, and remember to tell them that you were bitten by a tick Visit the NHS website for more information: www. nhs.uk/conditions/lyme-disease e popularity of pets went sky-high during COVID- 19 and, frankly, we’ve never relied on them so much for emotional support. According to the PDSA, over half of all adults in the UK are pet owners, between them owning ten million dogs. Despite being adored family pets with a place in our hearts like no other, dogs have the same legal status as the sofa they nap on. Which means that if a couple divorces or separates, disagreements about who takes the dog can end up in court… Enter the pet-nup - a type of prenuptial agreement that speci cally details what would happen to a couple’s pet in the event of a divorce or separation. Of course no one enters into marriage with the intention of separating, but having a di cult conversation now around who has the right of ownership if the relationship breaks down can save a lot of heartache down the line. Pet-nups speci cally relate to married people, so if you have no plans to marry it’s worth thinking about a co-habitation agreement. ese legal agreements set out who owns what and in what proportion in a relationship and can include provision for your pets. If you’re thinking about a pet-nup, or including your pet in a cohabitation agreement, here are some things to consider: • Have you and your partner reached an agreement between yourselves about pet custody? • If not, who paid for the pet? • Was it a gi ? • What evidence is there to support ownership? Do you have a receipt from the breeder or paperwork from the rescue charity (Blue Cross, Battersea Dogs Home, etc.)? • Who will pay for the dog’s upkeep (food, ea/worm treatment) and insurance or medical bills? Any relationship breakdown is incredibly stressful. Agreements are really tough to reach when emotions are running riot and nancial costs have to be considered. e popularity of pet-nups is on the up and this can only be a positive thing for our furry friends. Get in contact with your local solicitor for more information and advice. Pet-nups – Who Gets the Dog?