Charity – Vegans.UK

Scottish Farplace Vegan Festival

April 15, 2017 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

It never fails to warm my heart, walking into a room filled with everything vegan. Well, ok, not everything vegan, but everything in there is vegan, if you understand me. I can just walk in and buy whatever I want without having to check ingredients and so on…and I usually do.

This year I went into the Edinburgh Vegan Festival at the Corn Exchange as a VIP. Oh yes, early entry and a goodie bag from Farplace Animal Rescue, were mine for just £15 and it was great to have a sniff around before the hoards descended, for descend they did. I was armed with cash (although more and more stalls take cards these days) as much a method of keeping track of my spending than anything.

I wandered around and bought breakfast, a ‘ham & cheese’ crepe from Flip’n’fast Crepes, their first one of the day. As I took it out to the seating area to have a root through my goodie bag, I passed the Sgai mheats stall, which had a queue already, before the festival had properly opened! I tweeted this fact to my followers and settled down to devour my crepe.

New breakfast food 'Quinoa Crack' - fab! — New breakfast food ‘Quinoa Crack’ – fab!

After another little wander round I headed to the talks and films area. They were showing ‘Live and Let Live’,’Cowspiracy’ (which also comes in book form) and ‘Peaceable Kingdom’ in the screening room during the day. I’d seen Peaceable Kingdom online, as you can too if you like. It’s a wonderful documentary about animal farmers who have awoken to veganism through life changing events. Their stories are worth hearing, but there is some footage that I found quite difficult to watch. I suppose I’m not yet hardened to images of animal exploitation and to be honest, I hope I never will be.

Instead of watching the films, I was lucky enough to get one of the last remaining seats in a talk given by Dr. Alex Lockwood entitled ‘How to turn a man vegan in 45 minutes.’ The talk addressed the wild gender imbalance within the vegan movement (there are far more females than males) and it was standing room only by the time he got started. There are several reasons why men are less drawn to veganism than women, and many of them are cultural. I took a fair few notes to see how I could work on approaching my male friends on the subject. Dr. Lockwood was keen to hear the audience’s stories about their vegan journeys and was an engaging speaker. He wrote ‘The Pig in Thin Air’ which details his own vegan awakening and has earned some fantastic reviews.

It was still a little early for donuts, but goodness knows, there were plenty available. First to sell out were the cream egg flavoured ones made by the ever-reliable Considerit Chocolate. I bought some chocolate bars from them as I always do, and also treated myself to three dream eggs which were indeed a dream come true.

The range of cakes, as ever, was impressive. My local baker Pitxu, was there and I couldn’t resist a cupcake from her stand. She’s based in the Edinburgh area and I’ve reviewed her work in detail elsewhere.

Food was soon beckoning me again, and by some miracle I managed to control myself cake-wise. I grabbed a curried potato and pea patty for lunch from Sacred Lotus, and wandered over to the other side of the venue. There I found something I really wasn’t expecting to see.

Among the tempting food, worthy charities and vegan businesses sat a car- a Tesla to be exact. I am not an expert when it comes to cars, but I must say it looked impressive. An all vegan car with vegan leather interior is a real innovation. Completely electric, this must be one of the most environmentally friendly cars out there. It’s certainly one of the fastest, going from 0 to 60mph in 2.6 seconds! Ah, perhaps when I win the lottery…

It was around this time that my thoughts turned to what little presents I could get those who couldn’t attend. First into my mind, unsurprisingly, was my beloved dog. I happened across a stand filled with vegan doggie treats called Pooches a Gogo, which were made locally in Fife. They assured me that each batch was rigorously taste tested by their Labradors, so I bought a packet of little bones that made me very popular when I returned home!

Once I’d got some gifts I turned my attention to the many charity stalls. I love learning about the smaller charities. The Maggie Fleming Animal Hospice, whom I’d met in Glasgow in December, have a new project. They’re trying to raise funds to open the UK’s first hospice for farmed animals. I happily donated as I reckon the work they do is just heroic and so, so kind. Donate here if you wish.

Paws2Rescue was a charity I hadn’t heard of before. They take abandoned dogs from Romania and try to rehome them here in the UK. The conditions the dogs are in is heartbreaking and the charity reach out to kind-hearted people via social media and their website.

Donuts selling fast…I chatted to a lovely lady from the Mahouts Elephant Foundation, who supports local people in Thailand who used to own elephants in order to make a living. They help them remain in their villages so their elephants can wander free in the forests instead of being dragged into town. They run camps so tourists can see the elephants in their natural environments and the mahouts go out every day to check that the elephants are safe.

After visiting various skincare stalls including Soul Tree and White Rabbit, I went to the last talk of the day, given by Rebecca Knowles, who is the founder of Vegan Outreach Scotland. She’s had a very interesting life, having lived in all different areas of the world, which I think gives her a good perspective on the issues. Her organisation simply asks people if they are animal lovers and then takes them to the logical conclusion that veganism is for them. As most of us know, this can be a pretty awkward conversation, but to get people’s actions to align with their beliefs can be very rewarding. Rebecca is clearly driven to have that conversation and it’s great to have people like her out there leading a compassionate discussion.

No more cream egg donuts... — No more cream egg donuts…

I was soon pretty tired, but very happy with my haul. I met some lovely people over the course of the day. I also get the feeling that these festivals are becoming far more mainstream and appealing to a far wider group of people. The presence of the car, as well as those selling fitness supplements alongside all the familiar savoury food stalls, cakes, charities and beauty products, was very welcome. Veganism really needs to be ‘normalised’ if we’re going to make a real difference for the animals and if having a liqueur stand , a terrarium stall, and a sporty car is needed to do that, then I’m all for it!

Vegfest Scotland 2016 – Glasgow SECC

January 7, 2017 by Tofu Temptress 1 Comment

Upcyled netting & possibly pun of the day

I’ve been to vegan festivals all over the UK, from Brighton to Bristol, Newcastle to Edinburgh. They become more numerous every year and it would certainly be a challenge to attend them all. Being a Scot, there was something really heartening to see how much Vegfest Scotland, held in Glasgow’s SECC, has grown and developed since its first event last year. Aberdeen and Dundee now have their own vegan festivals and with each event doing so much to spread awareness of veganism, I can only predict that this wonderful trend of expansion will continue.

It’s not every day I have dumplings for breakfast, but to be honest, many exceptions are made for Vegfest. I simply couldn’t resist the Holy Cow stand, with its massively elaborate-looking burgers, fabulously attractive cake selection and the aforementioned dumplings. I knew I had to pace myself, so settled on just the Italian style dumplings. (I had Polish style ones the next day, which were equally nice. This dumplings-for-breakfast thing could become a habit…) Holy Cow is a brand new Edinburgh based fully vegan cafe. You can find them near the bus station in Elder Street. I cannot wait to go there for a meal. It’s great to have another one hundred percent vegan place in Edinburgh!

My first day at Vegfest was mainly taken up with buying things. Yes, I could use the excuse that, being December, I was doing some Christmas shopping, but that would (mostly) be a lie. I mean, I did get a few gifts for loved ones, but mainly I was on a totally selfish vegan shopping binge. I bought a fair amount of food of course – that goes without saying really – but there was so much to purchase besides grub.

I didn't know you could if I'm honest — I didn’t know you could if I’m honest

Firstly I have to admit that I caved and bought a tofu press. It shouldn’t really be a guilty admission, but until now I’ve been pressing tofu punk-style by wrapping it in tea towels and shoving a bunch of heavy cookbooks on top of it, so it seems like a bit of a sell out. However, the handy device I purchased not only acts as a neat press, but also doubles as a perfectly sized marinating tray. See, I’ve always struggled with getting a bowl big enough but shallow enough to marinate tofu efficiently and effectively, so I think this is where it may come into its own. I look forward to using it.

So many charities made an appearance this year, including many smaller causes that I hadn’t heard of before. I’d met the folk from The Scottish Animal Behaviour and Rescue Centre at Edinburgh’s Vegan Festival in August (they do amazing work) but new to me were the Underheugh Ark, an adoption and fostering organisation that aims to save dogs from England’s cruel ‘seven day rule’ which sees them put to sleep after that time if not claimed. Another that caught my eye was the Maggie Fleming Animal Hospice who provides care for terminally ill abandoned animals. Could there be any more touching charity? There was also an organisation called Give a Dog a Bone, who assist older dog rescuers meet the costs of having a canine companion.

I was lucky enough to have a chat with one of the members of Save Movement Scotland at their stall and attend one of their talks later. She showed me video footage of animals that they’d filmed here in Scotland, arriving at their final destination by truck, looking confused, frightened and uncomprehending. It was utterly heartbreaking. For our own sanity, it is easy to imagine that local farms are not as cruel as those further away, but here I was, confronted by images from my own back yard. The bravery of those who confront not only the truck drivers, but those who open the gates of the slaughter houses, astounds me. Many would see the save movements – which started in Toronto, Canada I think- as an exercise in futility. I mean, what is the point of upsetting yourself by bearing witness to the suffering of animals which you don’t have a hope of saving?

Later on at the Save Movement Scotland talk, I found out that the peaceful protesters confront passersby with what is happening and let them know why it’s wrong. They also chip away at the consciences of the drivers and abattoir workers and security guards. These people may not acknowledge that it’s cruel and unnecessary to use animals in this way in front of the protestors, but what grains of doubt are planted in their minds? What conversations do they have with their family when they get home from work? It is a subtle and heartrending form of outreach and hopefully one day, I’ll feel emotionally strong enough to join them.

On a lighter note, the array of t-shirts on display this year was truly fab, especially by the charities. I bought one from the League Against Cruel Sports and one from the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade, both noble causes. Clothing in general was top notch, especially on the Viva La Vegan stand. They even had bags that celebrated the vegan cheese/gary debate!

Cosmetics in general are well represented at Vegfest and I had a lovely chat with the owners of Iuvo Skincare at their stand. Their handmade soaps smelled and looked amazing, and their skin cream felt brilliantly smooth. They also had a selection of fragrant oils which I enjoyed sampling. In the end I bought a mixed box containing all these items. Well, it’d be rude not to.

The beautiful selection at Iuvo Skincare

On my second day at Vegfest I attended a brilliant talk by Vegan Geezer himself. If you’re not familiar with his work, check him out on youtube. In fact, that was what his talk was about – utilising youtube for activism. It was fascinating and I took lots of notes. The reach you can achieve is phenomenal and for anyone who wanted to take the vegan message to a greater number of people, there were loads of tips.

Talking of interesting outreach, Animal Equality were there with their virtual reality headsets. If you’re not familiar with these, they put you right onto the kill floor with British pigs. Participants put on the VR headsets and headphones and it’s as close as most people would ever want to get to the reality for these factory farmed animals. I witnessed a few individuals with tears in their eyes as they finished their experience. It’s no wonder really. I must admit to being surprised how many people were willing to try it – they were busy all day on both days. I’m sure it’ll help many people become vegan.

Animal Equality's iAnimal VR — Animal Equality’s iAnimal VR

I’m conscience that I haven’t said too much about the food at Vegfest so far. Believe me, while chatting to folk or browsing I was invariably munching on something scrummy. I’ve mentioned Holy Cow, but Brownins Vegan Carribean Food deserve a mention just for their dumplings (I know, I know, but they were a different kind of dumpling.) They also did magnificently massive jerk soya wraps, which I simply didn’t have room for, but saw others devour joyfully.

Cool Jerk Pies had some festive offerings, with a vegan version of pigs in blankets as a topping. Cakes were everywhere of course, including my two favourite purveyors, Missy’s Vegan Cupcakes and Pitxu’s Cakes and Bakes. The macaron display was impressive as usual and well, basically the food was fab all round. A slice of pizza from the Bute Island Foods stand was heavenly.

Cruelty free pigs in blankets - on pies! — Cruelty free pigs in blankets – on pies!

The last talk I attended was one from Go Vegan Scotland, a relatively newly formed group who spread awareness of veganism up and down the country. I first noticed them when they produced a poster asking where people drew the line between animals who were ‘meant for food’ and those who were not. It went up at various locations throughout Scotland and I thought it was a brilliant way to jolt people from their cocoons of casual carnism (as you might say.)

I also noticed them when I attended the monthly vegan quarter at the Leith Market in Edinburgh and it was great to hear the story of how they’d formed and what their approach was. They brave all elements to man stands in areas of heavy footfall in both Edinburgh and Glasgow and say they’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response. I’m sure if you’re a vegan you’ve had some sort of flack online (I know I have!!!) but it seems that people are less likely to insult you in person. Most people are curious and want to know more, which is why Go Vegan Scotland are there.

I think it’s opened many people’s eyes and it’s great to have an information stall in busy city centres calmly giving out information and advice. Of course one of the main reasons I loved their talk was because I managed to win a hamper in their raffle which was drawn by a man dressed as a cow. I love Vegfest.

Scottish Vegan Festival 2016

October 17, 2016 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

Cupcakes from Pitxu's — Cupcakes from Pitxu’s

When you go to a vegan fair, take my advice, arrive hungry. I mean skip breakfast and get down there with a proper appetite. If you don’t, you may regret it. There’s so much more to a vegan fair besides food of course (what do you mean, ‘is there?’) but there’s nothing quite as frustrating as that feeling of being too full to try that pie, that donut, that sizzling burger. So, do yourself a favour and make sure you at least get a decent run at it.

There's even vegan steak... — There’s even vegan steak…

As I entered the Corn Exchange in Edinburgh on a sunny October day, it was a great prospect to look at all the stalls and know that every single one of them was not only vegan friendly, but TOTALLY vegan. Oh, bliss. I mean, in this non-vegan world it’s a fabulous novelty.

...and vegan steak sandwiches. — …and vegan steak sandwiches.

I’ve done reviews of vegan fairs before, so if you’ve read them you’ll roughly know the drill. There are loads of stalls – from charities, to cupcakes, from beauty products to t-shirts and jewellery. This particular fair was in aid of Farplace Animal Rescue, a no-kill shelter located in County Durham who campaign for the rights of animals. I bought one of their anti-badger cull t-shirts and spoke to some of their volunteers. They’re running a campaign at the moment to try and raise some money, see here for details. They also re-home animals, from rabbits to pigs!

Everything was in aid of Farplace Animal Rescue

One of the first stalls I stopped at was a charity called Pounds for Poundies who raise money in order to help rescue charities save more dogs from an uncertain future in the pound. Another t-shirt was purchased and they told me about their current campaign which aims to get people to consider re-homing a staffie, as there are so many in pounds at the moment.

Ponds for poundies — Pounds for poundies

I was pleased to finally meet the faces behind Humblestuff, the makers of environmentally friendly, vegan cleaning products. The fizzing sticks that are used to clean toilet bowls can also be used as a bath bomb! I’m pretty sure it’s the only loo cleaner that can make that claim!

I’m constantly amazed by the wonderful quality of modern vegan cheese. Both Tyne Chease and Nutcrafter Creamery were there, with some fabulous examples. They had firm cheeses, cream cheeses and even vegan butter. Gone are the days when an excuse not to go vegan was ‘I’d miss cheese’ thanks to companies like these. Bute Island Foods was also doing tastings and their range just keeps expanding. They’re the ones responsible for Sainsbury’s new hit vegan cheese (or ‘Gary’ as it’s been christened by the internet…) It does me good to see products like this filtering through to the mainstream.

There were some spectacular sauces and chutneys on display too. My particular favourites were The Spice Witch (the mango and chilli chutney I bought was as good as any I’ve had in an Indian restaurant, if not better) and MaRobert’s Taste of Tanzania (I only got the medium spiced sauce, as I’m obviously too wimpy for hot or extra hot. It was delicious though.)

All this is to say nothing of the cake! I was so encouraged to see many local bakers there with stands. The interest in vegan cakes is always high and bakers have nothing to lose by catering for us. Believe me, I don’t know any non-vegans that would turn their noses up at these delectable offerings.

I could go on and on, but let’s just say I spent most of the day here and was not even slightly bored. It was a lot busier than many expected it to be and I’m so glad it was a success. As more and more people turn to veganism, I can only see these events getting bigger and better, and that is a very happy thought.

Edinburgh Vegan Festival 2016

September 29, 2016 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

Right in the midst of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and just across the road from the Edinburgh Book Festival lay, for one weekend, the Edinburgh Vegan Festival. This is the second year the Roxburghe Hotel has played host and I must say, spread over two days instead of one, it felt a lot less ram packed this year.

My haul began straight away with a few giveaways. For a donation to Tower Hill Stables animal charity you could pick up the much fabled Follow Your Heart VeganEgg (egg replacer in baking and also makes scrambled ‘egg’) as well as other goodies including Sarelle bars, Lavera hand cream and much more.

The array of food was as mindboggling and mouth-watering as ever. Every type of cuisine seemed to be represented, from the award winning sgaia steaks, to olives and deli delights galore. As it was almost lunchtime there was sizzling going on. More focused individuals than myself were picking out their lunch options with tongs and great skill. All I could do was look around me.

I’d popped in the previous day, Saturday, and got a pie from Cool Jerk, always a favourite. Macaroni pie, seriously, how can you go wrong? Even my omnivore companion was impressed with their mince and onion offering. Today however, a pizza and salad from Henderson’s more than filled me up. It’s my regret to this day that I didn’t try the jam donuts that Considerit Chocolate were selling…However, a few of Missy’s Vegan cupcakes were pocketed for later, as were a brownie or two from Shire Snax. Even if you arrive at these events hungry, there’s always so much to fill you up you never get to try everything.

Of course, there’s always room for a small dessert and I was tempted to lots of different stalls to sample their wares. It was the first time I’d tasted Jeaven’s dairy-free toffee and I was compelled to buy two bags straight away. It really is lovely stuff.

Missy's Vegan Cupcakes — Missy’s Vegan Cupcakes

Yum Earth Organics were also tempting passers-by with their fruity boiled sweets and jelly beans that not only were free from gelatine (of course!) but also contained anti-oxidents and counted towards your five (or seven, or whatever) a day. Impressive. Good Full Stop were not a company I’d come across before, but their date and nut bars in a wide selection of flavours were worth stopping for.

Jeaven's dairy free toffee — Jeaven’s dairy free toffee

I was pleased to see many charities in evidence too. The League Against Cruel Sports was there, not only selling some cool t-shirts but also spreading the very important message that the fox hunting ban must be kept.

A selection of sweets from Yum Earth Organics

The Dr. Hadwen Trust continue to raise awareness of their work, which is conducting accurate medical testing without using animals. They have the only vegan charity shop in Britain (so far) and fund research into almost every serious condition you can think of, from brain tumours to heart disease.

Animals Asia had so much merchandise on their stand they were struggling to keep it all balanced on there! They do amazing work and this time were particularly highlighting their efforts to rescue bears who are used for bile. Just horrendous stuff, so very necessary work.

T-shirts from The League Against Cruel Sports

For those with a concern for the environment, which of course includes many vegans, Population Matters were there to highlight overpopulation of humans.

Plenty of stuff on the Animals Asia stand!

There were arts, crafts, make up and beauty products of all kinds on display too. Some beautiful paintings of elephants caught my eye and I bought one right at the end of the day. The art was beautiful and some of the proceeds went towards elephant conservation, so I simply couldn’t resist. Also gorgeous bags with foxes and badgers on them called to me. I got a badger one as the face on it was just adorable and badgers haven’t had their troubles to seek recently.

Agharta jewellery was lovely as always and I bought three more sets of earrings to add to my collection in the shapes of lizards, dragonflies and dinosaurs! They have a shop on etsy but attend many of the vegan festivals in person.

My favourite make up company was in attendance too, Bohemian Chic Minerals. They do a great variety of stuff, from brightly coloured eye shadow, to subtle foundation and bronzer to shimmering lipstick. All their products are suitable for sensitive skin too, which is a real bonus.

All this is to say nothing of the talks I attended. Kate Strong is a world champion triathlete and she was talking about how you can be the best you can by breaking out of the norm. This includes diet of course and she was a very engaging speaker. Inspiring stuff. Mick Walker is a vegan cyclist who has adopted a completely plant based diet in order to keep strong and fit as he gets older. I can only aspire to be as healthy as these two!

The whole event was inspiring and I’d highly recommend them, especially for new vegans, or the vegan-curious, so that they can experience the gorgeous food, discover how to live a cruelty free life and get inspired by others’ journeys. It’s a joyous, guilt-free way of life and this festival, along with others like it, embrace that fully. Do try to attend one near you.

Dogs

November 25, 2014 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

Dogs

I love dogs. They are unique animals. If you treat them well they’ll be the most loyal, affectionate and enthusiastic friend you’ve ever had! Over thousands of years, humans domesticated the dog to our mutual benefit. They would guard our camps and we would give them any extra food we had. Everybody’s happy. Over time, different groups of humans were drawn to dogs with different characteristics and so as far back as Ancient Egypt, there were recognisably different breeds of dog.

http://www.viva.org.uk/ — Dalmatian at dog show, Australia. Jo-Anne McArthur/We animals

In modern times however, over the last hundred years or so, those breeds have become so extreme that almost every pure bred dog today has inherent health problems. From the deafness of Dalmatians, to the hip dysplasia of German Shepherds and the breathing problems of pugs, through intensive breeding we have done dogs a great disservice. For a dog loving nation we are one of the worst culprits here in Britain as our kennel club still doesn’t clamp down on the breeding of fathers with daughters and brothers with sisters, which perplexes me greatly as surely that’s just basic genetics. As humans, we discovered that marrying your cousin wasn’t the best idea genetically many years ago. I mean, just look at the royal family of years gone by…There’s a great documentary about this subject called Pedigree Dogs Exposed, which, although eye opening and very informative, does contain scenes of dogs in pain and or distress as a result of their health problems, so be warned. I don’t agree with the documentary maker on everything, but she has been brave and relentless in her pursuit of the truth in an effort to better the welfare of pedigree dogs, so good on her.

Dog in cage in Asia. Jo-Anne McArthur/We animals

The result of all this domestication is that dogs are in the unique position now of being reliant on humans for their wellbeing. Unfortunately it turns out that many humans are not only irresponsible but cruel, and dogs pay the price for this. From people who chain up their dogs outside, to those who arrange dog fights, to puppy farmers, to the abhorrent dog meat trade in Asia, humans have let dogs down big time.

Dog chained up outside. Jo-Anne McArthur/We animals

There is hope. Up and down the country and across the world, there are a band of people who should not only be praised to the skies but also given a hell of a lot more money than they are at the moment. I talk of course, of the rescuers. The outpouring of support for the Manchester Dogs Home recently when it was the victim of arson was truly heart-warming. This nation loves dogs, I just wish there wasn’t so much need for these charities.

My dog was a rescue from Dogs Trust West Calder

Dogs Trust (formally The National Canine Defence League or NCDL) is the biggest dog rescue charity in the UK (and they’re now in Ireland too). They run educational programmes to give young people the information they need to be responsible dog owners. They assist homeless people with their dogs, giving them free veterinary care and advice. Their freedom project provides foster care for the dogs of those who are the victims of domestic abuse, as a violent partner often threatens to kill dogs and shelters generally can’t accommodate them. Dogs Trust also try to keep the greyhound racing industry honest as it can be a hotbed of corruption and cruelty.

Greyhound, caged. Jo-Anne McArthur/We animals

They also work overseas to help dogs in Eastern Europe, India, Malta, Thailand and the Philippines, with neutering programmes, vaccinations and education. Crucially, they attempt to combat the unregulated and horrifically cruel dog meat trade. Back at home, they have environmental enrichment at their rehoming centres so that the dogs’ stay in kennels is as stress free as possible. All Dogs Trust dogs are neutered and microchipped before being rehomed. This is one of the issues I feel most strongly about, as without microchipping there is no responsibility and without neutering there is no hope of keeping the number of unwanted and abandoned dogs down. Once a dog is rehomed, they even give out free advice which may include having a visit from a dog behaviourist, if you are having any issues with the new member of your family. A brilliant initiative Dogs Trust have started is working with young offenders, so they can use their community service to help train dogs in need of a home. This gives them a tremendous sense of achievement and usefulness, helping both the dogs and themselves. Dogs Trust also have a special centre for elderly dogs filled with cosy couches and quiet and they never put a healthy dog to sleep.

Hurricane Katrina rescue dog. Jo-Anne McArthur/We animals

All this is to say nothing of the fantastically dedicated folks who run smaller charities. There are people who stay up all night hand-feeding puppies who’ve been dumped in a bin and left for dead. There are those who train dogs for enriching professions like search and rescue or assisting the disabled with charities such as Canine Partners. Volunteers walk countless dogs and give out cuddles. Canine carers coax shy dogs, abused dogs or those who have had their will broken by being intensively bred from a young age, out into the sun and gently encourage them to have fun again.

We have a responsibility towards dogs. It is our duty to look after them. After all these years of making dogs reliant on us, we cannot let them down. At the very least, we should do all we can to respect dogs and make sure that we educate ourselves and our children how to treat them well. Dogs will find us if we’re trapped under rubble, they’ll sniff us out if we’re lost on a vast hillside, they see for us if we’re blind, hear for us if we are deaf, assist us with everyday tasks if we become disabled, they fight in our wars and keep us safe by finding bombs and illegal drugs. They even listen to children to reduce anxiety as they read, help those with autism and can predict epileptic seizures! Dogs love us, so much. We should love them in return.

There are loads of charities all over the place that help our canine companions, so here are a few of them for you to check out. If they are local to you, perhaps you could ask if they need any donations of old blankets or duvets. Many charities have Amazon wish lists or would just love it if you dropped in to donate a can or two of food. It doesn’t have to cost much, or indeed anything at all, but these organisations need your support. Thanks. Or, if you feel you’re ready, maybe you could think about rehoming a dog yourself. It’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.