A non-profit organisation set up to rescue and re-home shar peis in need.

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Do YOU feed your dog

iams?

Read this before you purchase anymore...

http://www.iamscruelty.com/

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"Simply Supplements.net"

Some time ago, we ordered various supplements both for us and our pets, from these people (based in the Channel Islands). We waited for a few weeks, then called them and were assured that all the parcels had been sent. We then called a week later & were told the same thing. A week later we called again & were told that they had been out of stock of some of the items and they were waiting for them to arrive before sending them out. At this point we asked for a refund which we were told would be made immediately. Another week passed & during our next call we were told that we had been refunded... our bank account tells us differently, then we were told

"Oh sorry, I THOUGHT you had been refunded"...

Again insisting on a refund we were told, firstly that

"Things are done differently in the Channel Islands"

Then, to fill in a claim form, as the items must be lost. This we did. Today we got a call saying that they had accidently sent out the remaining pills & therefore we would not be getting a refund, unless we wanted to send them back in a parcel that we have to call them to arrange.!!!

We have contacted trading standards and they are looking into it, as well as logging a complaint under the Distance selling regs. (Which i had to educate them on!)

If you value your sanity as well as your hard earned cash I would recommend that you avoid these people at all costs.

WE WILL NEVER BE USING "SIMPLY SUPPLEMENTS" AGAIN

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Shankley makes it onto

Page 3 !!

Article in Daily Mail 11th December 2006

Click on the picture to read the full article

This is such good news for SPR&W UK, and indeed the lovely Shankley. An article in Battersea Dog & Cats Home's magazine prompted the Daily Mail to contact Adrian & Stephanie, to find out more about his fantastic face lift. This in turn prompted GMTV to run a story on Shankley the following morning. Not only has this boy had cosmetic surgery, he's becoming a superstar!

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It was reported today in that national press that Shankly the Shar Pei, a dog who was at the time residing at the Battersea Dogs and Cats home had undergone a facelift to remove excessive wrinkles from his forehead, at a cost of £1,000 to the charity .

The dog, who most people know, would naturally have wrinkly skin, could not see for the the wrinkles that were hanging down from his head and covering his eyes.

Whilst those reporting in the main stream media are busy trivialising the story, referring to Shankly, who is named after the legendary Liverpool football manager, as a "poorly pooch" and comparing him to a Hollywood celebrity, the dogs home are clearly benefiting from good PR. Going so far as to publicly congratulate themselves in the Daily Mail.

"The operation demonstrates the first class veterinary care Battersea gives to all our animals, even if their requirements are a little unusual."

Whilst nobody would deny that Battersea deserve all the good PR they can get, they missed a trick with this story as there is a far more serious subtext to it than the press have let on.

We may all find it quirky that a dog was so wrinkly that it needed surgery, but the bigger issue must be, how did it get that wrinkly? Nature surely wouldn't have let a dog's natural physiology get to a stage where, in the wild, a Shar Pei who couldn't see would be nothing more than a meal on the wider food chain.

Perhaps breeding standards are to blame here. The Shar Pei breed is famous for its adorable wrinkles, even to the point where advertisers have cottoned on the cute factor when selling us beauty products. But look back at a picture of a Shar Pei from ten or twenty years ago and you'll see that whilst they have obvious wrinkles, they are no way to the magnitude that the dog would ever need surgery.

It is almost as if certain, unscrupulous breeders are breeding these dogs to order, to satiate a public demand for quirky and unusual looking dogs and it has clearly gone too far in this case and one dog has had to have his face sliced open to correct a problem nature would never have let happen.

Of course nature can be cruel and often throws up mutations and malformations, but if this is the case, then we can be thankful that Battersea and their wonderful staff were on hand to help, whilst being mindful that too many dogs are going under the knife to correct problems that didn't used to be there.

This article was taken from K9 Magazine, the lifestyle magazine
for dog lovers and is available in both digital and print
formats. You can get more articles, features and advice at
http://www.k9magazine.com

All content © K9 Media Ltd

Interestingly, we have been bombarded with abuse & spam emails from a few parties, in the Shar Pei breeding "Mafia" since we started up, because we expressed these views.

We are shortly to release a list of breeders that have refused to take their dogs back,forcing it to go into rescue. Our forms encourage owners to contact the breeder first, but often the owner is refused any help & pointed in the direction of rescue organisations...

Its interesting that all of the comments that are made are made annonomously...

Tells you something doesn't it?

They'll talk the talk, but few actually walk the walk.

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Moult or Mange?

I am no expert on Fox mange, even though I've had the dubious honour of being infected by it, but twice a year I get inundated by people who are convinced that their dog has mange when in fact, they are just blowing their coat. A lot of Shar Pei , when moulting, can become itchy, grumpy and look very, very tatty. The hair falls out in patches. Round holes appear in the coat and condition is lost. When Dillon moults he looks so scruffy I hate taking him out, hence the photo to help you recognise what a moult can look like. Brushing really helps to remove the dead hair and if I'm honest , I gently pluck Dillon to help him get rid of the loose fur, A bath in NEEM shampoo may also help.

Shar Pei generally moult twice a year, so you'll soon be able to recognise the signs and not panic. Of course if the scratching becomes too much, large patches of fur around the neck, chest and hind quarters fall out and scabs appear..well.it could be fox mange, but regular doses of stronghold cures and keeps it at bay, so put your mind at rest and dose your dog every three months.

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We would like to thank Michelle, Lee, Juliet, Jay and Jukka for braving the weather at Popham airfield to raise money for Shar Pei Rescue and Welfare UK this past weekend. I would also like to thank all the hairy bikers, their friends and relatives for cuddling, stroking and generally taking an interest in our dogs and the rescue and giving us their support and money to help us keep going.

We could not continue without the overwhelming support from those who have already adopted dogs who stay in contact and make sure that the rescue survives.

I am humbled by the support that you all give us and despite getting so wet that I thought I was melting, we again raised needed funds, in circumstances that would daunt the average person.

Thank you, ALL of you.

Roma and Neill

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Dear Dogs and Cats,

The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food.

Please note: Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food, does not stake a claim for it to become your dish and food, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest!

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king-sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep at right angles to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out at the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob, or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered AND I have been using the bathroom for years on my own, canine or feline attendance is not mandatory.

The proper order is to kiss me, THEN go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough!

And for your comfort, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door:

RULES FOR NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND MIGHT WANT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS

1. They live here; you don't.

2. If you don't want hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. ( That's why they call it "fur"niture).

3. I like my pets a lot better than I like some people.

4. To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours, and does not speak clearly.

Finally, remember: Dogs and cats are better than kids because...

They eat less

Don't ask for money all the time

Are easier to train

Usually come when called