INSIDE
In the
SPOTLIGHT
Our volunteer van driver, Roger shares
his story with us...
PAGE 15
Fundraising Update
We take time to thank everyone donating their
time and money to help the animals at Woodside.
PAGE 12
Waggy
Endings
Our furry and feathered
friends find their forever
homes!
PAGE 08
PAGE 04
SNOWY’S SAGA!
Read about this pooch’s road to revovery.
1
Contents
04Snowy’s Saga
Read all about this
Snowy’s road to
recovery!
06 New Tricks
12 Fundraising Roll
of Honour
15 In the Spotlight
Our volunteer van
driver, Roger shares
his story with us...
17Woodside
Christmas
Market
18 Autumnal Tips
/woodsideanimalcentre
@Woodside_leics
2
0116 233 6677
www.rspcaleicester.org.uk
Welcome!
Welcome to the autumn edition of Inside!
At Woodside we have been busier than ever
caring for our furry and feathered friends
and helping them find their forever homes.
Inside you can find out more about our
animal rehabilitation work in Snowy’s Saga,
as well as some heart-warming stories about
our recent re-homing successes. We’ve also been
hard at work raising much needed funds for the animal centre and our
‘PetFest’ gala day raised over £7,000! We would like to say a HUGE
thank you to everyone who came to support us and really hope you
had a fantastic day out - I know we did!
Our charity shops are very important to us and we would like to
welcome Theresa and Angela who will be managing our shops in
Melton Mowbray and Coalville. As we enter autumn we have included
information and advice on how you can keep pets and wildlife safe
as the colder weather sets in. I know we have only just approached
autumn but we’re already preparing for Christmas! Make sure you
join us for our Magical Christmas Market on 26th and 27th November.
We will also be running our ‘Animal Angel Appeal’ from the 1st - 24th
December so make sure you check out page 16 for more details on
how you can bring some festive cheer to our animals this Christmas.
Quite often when I speak to visitors, they come to Woodside feeling
that it is a sad place. My response is always the same - the sadness
ends as soon as the animals enter our gates. Once in our care their
needs are catered for; they receive any medical care that they need
and will find a forever home with new owners who will give them the
love and support that they need. Woodside really is all about helping
the animals who need us most - and giving them the best care is our
priority.
We really hope that you enjoy this newsletter, and if there are any
topics that you would like us to cover in our next edition please feel
free to get in touch. Happy reading!
Ruth Lane, Chairman
Ben
The Cats Of
Woodside Need You!
We need more people to join our foster family.
There are so many cats and kittens who come
to Woodside needing our help, but we only have
a limited amount of space in our cattery. Foster
homes are an important extension of the animal
centre, providing many more cats and kittens with
a loving, temporary home while they wait for their
vaccinations, recover from injury or give birth.
Our dedicated fosterers help us save hundreds
of cats’ lives every year - but that family needs to
grow. Fosterers move house, have children, take
new jobs, and look after elderly relatives just like
everyone else. Sometimes this means they need to
stop fostering for a while or even for good. Add to
that the fact that they all love cats and sometimes
fall for one! When this happens they may decide to
adopt their kitten and decide to no longer foster.
Even if you only foster once it really helps us by
creating a much needed space to take in more
cats needing our help.
It’s really straightforward to become a fosterer.
Just pop into the animal centre to fill out a form,
we’ll pop round to check your home is suitable…
and then its ‘full steam ahead’.
Woodside will provide all the equipment you’ll need,
from litter trays to cat food, as well as plenty of
advice and support.
jami
n an
d Is
abe
lla
Liz Mackenzie, one of Woodside’s fosterers
shares her story:
‘In 2011, both my beloved cats died; Charlie first
at 14 and then Jasper, 8 months later, at the age
of 12. At the time I didn’t want another cat as I
thought it would be too painful, a feeling that many
cat owners will understand. Yet it’s strange how
quiet the house is without cats, it just felt a bit
hollow, a bit empty. Then I saw an advert saying
that Woodside were looking for cat fosterers and
thought “I could do that!”
‘Friends often ask me how I can ‘let go’ of cats and
kittens that come to stay. It’s easy, I know they are
with me for a short time; I know that I’m preparing
them for their forever homes and that once the cat
has gone there will be another waiting to come
home with me. Although I ended up falling in love
with and adopting two beautiful kittens - Benjamin
and Isabella - I continue to foster for Woodside.’
‘I feel truly privileged to be a part of Woodside’s
foster family and I would be happy if I could
encourage just one more person to become a cat
fosterer.’
Could you foster a cat?
Get in touch! 0116 233 6677.
3
Snowy’s Saga
Animal rehabilitation is a major part of the work that we do here at Woodside. All too often
our furry and feathered friends arrive at the centre in a bad way and it takes a lot of time,
love and patience for us to get them to a place where they can be rehomed.
This is Snowy’s story
Snowy, a pure white, one-year-old Akita/Husky
cross came to Woodside back in February along with
her friend Bliss. Both dogs were very wary of new
people, especially men as they had been mistreated in
their previous home. Initially, we couldn’t let Snowy
out for walks because she needed blood tests and
wasn’t fully vaccinated. In fact, Snowy and Bliss had
probably never even been walked in their previous
life.
When she first came to Woodside, Snowy was so
nervous that she would sit huddled and cowering in
the corner of her accommodation. She could often
be seen pacing in her kennels and would back away
when approached or spoken to. Snowy was so
timid that she would only look out the front of her
kennel block if Bliss went first. Despite her sensitive
4
stomach, our animal care assistants had to use treats
just to tempt her out of her kennel. Sadly, Snowy
seemed interested in toys but she didn’t even know
how to play.
After six months of intensive rehabilitation with our
animal care experts, Snowy’s saga came to a happy
end when she was adopted by her new owner Paula
who decided to rename her Luna.
Paula said ‘I love Luna to bits and think she’s now
having the puppyhood that she never had. Our other
dog Max adores her and he lets Luna get away with
everything. We have been adopting rescue dogs from
Woodside for almost thirty years now. Luna is our 6th
and all of our dogs have been extremely rewarding.
I want to thank everyone at Woodside and let them
know that Luna is now a very happy, mischievous
puppy’.
Luna playin
g
her
brot
new out
d
n
ng
aa
chilli
Lun
Max
Charity Shop
Update
We would like to give a big Woodside welcome to two new members of our team! Theresa
Brudenell is the new manager of our charity shop at Melton Mowbray and Angela Kelly will
be managing our Coalville shop.
How To Make Your Donation Go Further With Gift
Aid!
We receive donations from our generous supporters
on a daily basis but, did you know that YOUR
DONATIONS CAN HELP WOODSIDE EVEN MORE
if you sign up for Gift Aid?!
Gift Aid is an income tax relief designed to benefit
charities like Woodside. If you are a UK taxpayer then
Gift Aid will increase the value of your charitable
donations by 25% at no extra cost to you. This means
that if you donate £100 to Woodside we will actually
receive £125 - FANTASTIC!!
Signing up to Gift Aid is really quick and simple –
Just tick the Gift Aid box if you are donating online or
fill out a short form if you donate to the animal centre
or in one of our charity shops.
If you are fundraising in aid of Woodside please
encourage your sponsors to tick the Gift Aid box
on your sponsorship form as without this we can’t
legally claim Gift Aid.
5
Fig, owner of Lee (Human)
‘Hi everyone, my name’s Fig, Figgy, Figgy
Wig or even Wiggy (take your pick) - I’m sure
my mum Lee has other names for me but
they escape me right now! I’m a 15 month old
Dalmatian and came to Woodside when I was
just 7 weeks old as the man who bred me
couldn’t sell me just because I’m deaf! I think
mum’s quite funny when she starts waving her
arms and hands around to communicate with
me - I just have to remember to look at her
right? Mum’s lucky to have me though - she
gets loads of exercise when we go out for our
walks, but most of all she gets to show off my
amazing skills at training classes!
New Tricks
Have you thought about taking your
beloved pooch to a training class? Did
you think that dogs need to be trained
from puppyhood and now it’s too late?
Here we interview some of the dogs
(and their owners) in our advanced
training class to discover the many
benefits of training - and that you really
CAN teach an old dog new tricks!
I’m really social and just love going over and
seeing all my doggy friends! I think it’s great to
have mum all to myself and love the fact that
ham, salami and cheese are on the menu just
for doing a few basic things like walking at
her side and stopping on her command. I like
other people’s food too but apparently it’s a bit
rude to ask for it. I hope you will think about
bringing your owners to training - its great fun
and this learning lark is pretty entertaining!’
Lee commented: ‘I currently teach the
advanced training class at Woodside and this
time I’m even training my own dog Figgy! As
a trainer I’m aware that there is always more
to learn and all dogs are truly individual. The
other members of the group are great to be
around and it’s a fun, social event that I look
forward to every week (we do work really
hard - honest)! It’s also a great chance for me
and Fig to spend some quality time together as
I have young children at home so it’s hard to
give her 1 to 1 attention all the time.’
Figgy
6
Skye, owner of Jade (Human)
‘I’m Skye, an 11 ½ year old French bulldog
and the lucky owner of a human called Jade. I
had an appalling life until I was 7 ½ years old
when the RSPCA rescued me from dreadful
conditions. My job was to produce puppies, I
was hungry and thirsty all the time and was
forced to live in my own mess. However,
my life took an amazing turn when I came to
Woodside in 2014 and adopted mum (she says
that she adopted me, but it was definitely the
other way around)!
When we started training together I really
didn’t think that I would enjoy myself, but I truly
love it. Where else do you get to eat delicious
treats for very little work? Sure, I make mum
sweat a little when she gives me commands
and think to myself, “Shall I do it first time or
not?” I’m (usually) a really good girl and do
what mum asks (but sometimes it takes a little
encouragement).
I love having mum all to myself for an hour
and the treats are a bonus (don’t tell mum,
but I would do it for her without them). Whilst
I appreciate that I’m an older lady, life for me
has never been better and I would encourage
dogs of all ages to take their humans along for
training.’
Jade
and
Sk
ee
ye, L
and
Fig
Jade said ‘I’m sure you’re all wondering
what I’m doing taking my old dog to training
classes. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks
right? Wrong! You may think dog training is a
serious business, and I am sure it can be, but
for me and Skye it’s all about having fun and
strengthening our unbreakable bond.’
So what are you waiting for?!
It’s never too late to take your four-legged
friend along to training classes, whatever their
If you would like to know more call
our friendly team on 0116 233 6677.
ability!
7
Waggy
Endings
Here at Woodside we love nothing more than a good,
old-fashioned happy ending! Read on to find out
more about our latest success stories…
Chewy
Chewy, a 4-year old Bulldog initially came to
Woodside in August 2015 as a cruelty case. When
she first arrived Chewy was very thin, had dry skin
and bald patches as well as several problems with
her ears and eyes.
Our staff and volunteers nursed Chewy back to
health while her court case was ongoing and she
quickly became a firm favourite as she was so
playful and adored human attention. During her stay
at the centre Chewy was a lively, active girl who
loved playing with her toys (especially tennis balls).
The RSPCA eventually won the case and after
spending over a year at Woodside we are so happy
to say that Chewy finally found her forever home
with new owner Lynn.
8
Percy
Chewit
Percy, an adult Senegal parrot was brought into
Woodside by a concerned member of the public
back in June when he was found straying around
LE3. All parrots arriving at Woodside must be kept
for a minimum of 28 days before they can go up
for adoption as the Parrot Society needs to be
informed. Percy’s details were also uploaded to the
Pets Located website to give his previous owner
plenty of time to reclaim him.
Chewit, an 8 year old cat came to us in March
as her owner was suffering from ill health
and could no longer look after her. While our
animal care assistants were observing her they
noticed that she couldn’t fully extend her front
left leg. Chewit was quickly sent for x-rays
and we found that she had an old fracture that
had healed incorrectly, preventing her from
extending her elbow. The vet advised that
Chewit’s leg would need amputating in order to
give her the best quality of life.
After 28 days no-one came to collect Percy and he
was soon adopted by new owner Katie who said,
“We adopted Percy after seeing him on Woodside’s
website. I rang and spoke to a lovely lady who
informed me that Percy was still available. We had
to arrange appointments to fit around work and
were worried that this would affect our chance to
adopt him. However, we didn’t need to worry as
Woodside’s staff were brilliant and very patient with
us. Percy has a club foot from a previous trauma
injury and although his claw will never recover I
can say that he’s now a very happy and charismatic
Senegal. He’s learnt lots of different noises and
loves to laugh, dance and have his belly tickled. It is
safe to say that Percy has found his forever home
and we couldn’t thank Woodside enough.”
With lots of love and care from staff and
volunteers at Woodside Chewit completely
recovered from her ordeal and has now found
her happy ever after with new owner Beth!
We have many animals at the
centre looking for their new home
and you could be the one to give a
special pet their waggy ending.
If you are interested in rehoming, please pop
into the centre or visit the adoption page at:
www.rspcaleicester.org.uk
or call us on 0116 233 6677
9
Petfest 2016
The sun shone on this year’s ‘Pet Fest’ Gala Day where we raised over £7,000 in aid of
Woodside’s furry and feathered friends! Once again, Woodside was transformed into a sea
of waggy tails and it was lovely to see so many of you coming down to show your support
for the animal centre.
There was much fun to be had by dogs and humans
alike on the day with our hugely popular dog show,
‘have-a-go’ dog agility course, bouncy castles,
carnival games and craft stalls.
Guests also enjoyed the refreshments on offer which
included a BBQ, tea-room, cakes and ice-cream. The
fundraising frenzy attracted around 1,000 people.
Jade Gibson, our Fundraising and Event
Coordinator said, “We are very happy. Not only did
everyone have a great time, but we also raised a lot
of money. I would like to thank each and every visitor
and volunteer that came to support us on the day, you
really are animal welfare champions! Woodside is
an independent charity and without this support we
would not be able to continue to rescue, rehabilitate
and rehome the many animals that pass through our
gates each year.”
treating visitors to professional hair-styling for a
donation. The event wouldn’t have been such a
success without the help of generous corporate
supporters such as Natural World Pet and Aquatic
Superstore and Symply Foods who kindly sponsored
the day. We would also like to thank Hawgrips
Nursery who kindly donated plants for us to sell at the
event.
Jade continued, “Over the last ten years Woodside
has found loving forever homes for over 36,000
animals. We also have one of the lowest animal return
rates in the UK and we are only able to continue our
work with the support of generous members of the
public. We are looking forward to seeing you all at our
future events.”
The staff and animals of Woodside would also like
to give a round of appaws to Jack at Redken who
compered our dog show this year - you did a fantastic
job. We would also like to thank our ambassador
Barrie Stephen and his award-winning team for
10
Best in Sh
ow Winne
Bella, Bon
nie, Polly, R rs 2016:
ocky and J
ack!
In The Community
Bev and Steve Hedley
RBS
Bev and Steve Hedley recently held a garden party
in aid of Woodside. The weather was perfect, the
barbeque was delicious, wine flowed freely and the
entertainment was truly unforgettable! Bev, Steve
and their very generous guests managed to raise a
staggering £1,600 on the day!
RBS Team Leaders based at the Leicester
Service Call Centre completed a sponsored
walk of 10 miles in Dovedale (Peak District) and
raised a fantastic £872.50 for the animal centre.
A HUGE thank you to all our
fundraisers from your feathered,
furry and human friends at Woodside!
If you would like to fundraise on
behalf of Woodside please contact
Jade on 0116 224 2440 or via email at
[email protected].
Jack and Scarlett Barwell
This month Jack and Scarlett Barwell held a
tombola and other games at their home, raising
£246.28! Thank you so much, you really are
stars!
11
Fundraising
Roll of
Honour
The staff and animals of Woodside would like to
give a huge thank you to every single one of our
fantastic supporters, we simply couldn’t do it
without you! We would like to give extra special
thanks to the following people for their AMAZING
generosity:
•
Our new Vice President Elizabeth Allison who
donated an INCREDIBLE £750.
•
The students and staff of Avenue Primary
School who raised £516.13.
•
The students and staff of The Cedars
Academy who raised £148.78 from their nonschool uniform day and citizenship initiative.
• The staff at Asra Housing Group who raised
£114.23
•
Mrs. Audrey Wolfenden who donated £100.
•
Dr. Ravi Kantar Powar and the customers of
her health store ‘Rosys’ who donated £70.
Charity Partnerships
We are pleased to announce our partnerships
with Pets at Home (Fosse Park) and Sainsbury’s
Local Hamilton. These partnerships are a
wonderful opportunity to raise awareness about
the fantastic work we do here at Woodside and
raise much needed funds for the centre. Keep
your eye on our website for information about
our upcoming in-store events and be sure to
come along and support us!
If you are a national or local company
interested in establishing a high value
partnership with us please contact Jane,
our Corporate Partnership Manager on:
0116 224 2436
or drop her an email at:
[email protected].
In Memoriam
Over the last 3 months Woodside has received
the following extremely kind donations in
memoriam:
£200 in loving memory of Mr. Edwin Bexon,
£150 in loving memory of Mr. Alan Whittle, £117
in loving memory of Mrs. Maureen Jones, £92 in
loving memory of Marjorie Fenwick, £50 in loving
12
memory of Hilda Hincks, £40 in loving memory of
Julie Ann Duncan.
We sincerely hope that the family and friends
of the deceased will find some comfort in the
knowledge that these donations really will help us
in our mission to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome
animals in need within Leicestershire and Rutland.
Volunteer Days
Santander:
The Santander UK Leicester team chose Woodside
to benefit from one of their corporate volunteer
days. They helped to landscape the front of our
kennel blocks, made some wonderful hanging
baskets and even gave our storage sheds a lick of
paint. It was great having you with us for the day
and we loved showing you around the centre. We
look forward to seeing you again soon.
Vodafone:
We would like to give a big Woodside thank you to
‘Team Vodafone UK’ who generously donated their
time and money to carry out important work within
the centre. It was an absolute pleasure to host such
a fantastic group of people and we’re very much
looking forward to continuing the relationship.
Royal Bank Scotland:
A team of RBS volunteers recently came to
Woodside and made a real difference! They painted
our conference room, and made a kind donation that
will now help us give the room a complete face lift!
They also worked within the woodland walk and
refurbished one of our seating areas. Thanks for all
your hard work, everything looks amazing!
Imago:
Natasha, Helen and Hayley from Imago joined
us for the day and helped make our much-loved
Trustee, Sue Stephens, very happy by giving our
‘Dog House’ lots of tender loving care! Sue donated
The Dog House to Woodside and it forms a very
important part of rehabilitation process for many of
the dogs in our care. Thank you so much ladies, we
are looking forward to a long-lasting friendship with
you.
Sainsbury’s:
Held their monthly manager meeting at the centre
and were very hands on during the day - they rolled
up their sleeves and helped paint one of our kennel
blocks!
13
Leave a gift to Woodside
animal centre in your will
Your will is one of the most important documents
that you will ever write. It a chance for you to help
and provide for your loved ones as well as a chance
to make a lasting difference to the causes you care
about long after you’re gone.
REQUEST YOUR FREE LEGACY PACK
Name:
If you would like to know more about leaving a gift
in your will to RSPCA Woodside Animal Centre
(Charity Number: 222621), please email: legacies@
rspcaleicester.org.uk or call us for an informal chat
on 0116 232 4931.
I would like to request my legacy pack for advice
on leaving a gift in my will to Woodside Animal
Centre:
(Tick here)
Tel number:
After death, leave life.
Postal address:
14
In The
Spotlight
Woodside’s Fundraising and Events Co-ordinator
Jade recently met up with our volunteer van driver
Roger Norton to ask him about his role at the animal
centre…
Tell me a bit about yourself
My name’s Roger and I’ve recently turned 70 years
old! I have a cat called Suki who I adopted from
Woodside and I’m currently looking to adopt a dog. I
enjoy gardening, cars, holidays and I’m a supporter
of Liverpool football club. I’ve been volunteering at
Woodside for almost 3 years now as their van driver.
What made you want to get involved and volunteer
at Woodside?
The company I used to work for closed down and I
knew I wanted to continue working in some way to
keep myself busy and active. I already knew a couple
of the Trustees at Woodside and had volunteered
at the centre’s annual Gala Day for many years.
I decided to come up to Woodside and offer my
services for 3 - 4 days a week. Gary, the Manager,
said that they were in desperate need of a van driver
and 3 years later I’m still here.
Describe your typical day as van driver for the
animal centre…
Well, my first job and the most important one of the
day is to take all the animals needing treatment to
the vets. The type of treatment needed can range
from neutering to dental work before they go to their
new homes. I also collect food donations from local
supermarkets and businesses as well as donations
from kind members of the public. Any donated
clothes, DVDs, CDs, books, kitchen items and
furniture are then distributed to our charity shops
to raise vital funds for the centre. I also take some
of our long stay animals to other RSPCA centres to
give them the best chance of finding their forever
home as soon as possible. The role is very
varied and at a minute’s notice I could be on my way
to Milton Keynes or up to Doncaster. The last job
of the day is collecting the animals that I took to the
vets that morning and making sure they have a nice,
calm and comfortable journey home.
What is it about Woodside that you love?
The thing I love most is being around the animals,
getting to fuss Woodside’s furry and feathered
residents is great fun and a good reminder of
why I love to volunteer here! The animals are the
reason that I initially wanted to help out but the
other volunteers and staff are great company too.
There are so many nice people at the centre and the
atmosphere is fun. I love that we are all here for the
same reason - to help the unwanted, abandoned and
mistreated animals of Leicestershire.
Why is it important to volunteer?
It’s giving something back! There are so many
poorly-treated animals in Leicestershire and I want
to help them in any way I can. It’s a two-way thing
and I benefit by getting out and about and have
the great satisfaction of knowing that I am doing
something good. It’s nice to know that I’m useful and
making a difference to the animals.
Wow! Roger is a star and proof that age really
is just a number. We have a huge variety of
volunteering opportunities at Woodside and it’s
never too late to get involved with a cause that’s
close to your heart.
If you would like to know more about volunteering
at Woodside then please contact Lydia on:
0116 224 2437 or drop her an email at:
[email protected].
15
Animal Angel
Appeal
This Christmas you could help Woodside care for the many animals that pass through
our gates and make a life - changing difference to unwanted and cruelly-treated animals
in Leicestershire!
At what should be a time of joy and celebration,
around 200 animals could be spending their
Christmas Day at Woodside instead of joining in with
the festivities in a loving home of their own. So as
you’re settling down to eat your Christmas dinner
with your family, friends and pets please spare a
thought for those less fortunate animals.
Successful animal rehabilitation and veterinary
care costs an enormous amount of money and we
are currently spending around £24 a day to care
for just one of our dogs. It also costs Woodside
approximately £14 a day to care for a cat and £8 a
day for a small furry or bird. This Christmas Day
our fantastic staff and volunteers will be providing
round-the-clock care for our new arrivals. They will
also be making sure that all our residents have as
happy a stay as possible at the centre by feeding
them their special Christmas dinner and treats. They
will also be playing with our animals and walking our
dogs.
This appeal will be running from 1st November –
24th December 2016 and your kind donations will
help fill a dog, cat, rabbit or bird’s food bowl this
16
Christmas. If you’re able, adding an extra £5 to your
gift would help buy a feeding toy that will stimulate
an animal’s mind and bring some festive cheer to
our residents while they search for their forever
homes.
By making a donation for yourself or on behalf of a
friend you will become a Woodside Angel, watching
over our special animals this festive season. If you
are donating as a gift for that special someone, we
will even send you a certificate for you to wrap up
(min donation £10)!
To donate to our appeal please visit our website
(www.rspcaleicester.org.uk). You can also pop
into the animal centre or any of our charity
shops. Please make postal donations via a cheque
made payable to ‘RSPCA Leicestershire Branch’
and send them FAO Becky Lewis, Woodside
Animal Centre, 190 Scudamore Road, Leicester,
LE3 1UQ (please do not send cash in the post).
Gift certificates will also be available to purchase
through eBay.
Woodside Presents… A
Magical Christmas Market
This year Woodside will be holding its first Magical Christmas Market on Saturday 26th
(12 - 8 pm) and Sunday 27th November (11 - 7 pm).
It’s set to be a fantastic occasion full of festive cheer
for all the family! There will be plenty of high-quality
craft stalls where you can buy those ever-so-special
gifts for your loved ones as well as loads of food
and drink options including a bar, roasted chestnuts,
mince pies, and Christmas puddings. We will also
be having a BBQ and a tearoom inside our heated
marquee where you can buy homemade cakes and
relax with a sip of mulled wine.
We will also be able to remember loved ones and
pets that are no longer with us or write a message
to all the Woodside residents that will be here
over the festive period by hanging tributes on
our Christmas tree. There will be so much more
happening over these 2 days so keep your eye on
our website and social media pages for updates. We
ho ho hope to see you there!
For the kids there will be an extra special, allnew Santa’s grotto where they can meet old Kris
Kringle himself and all his little elves. Kids can
even take home a special gift and a photo of their
special meeting with Santa. There will be plenty
of festive games for all the family to help get you
in the Christmas spirit. You could also win a giant
Christmas hamper full of exclusive goodies to see
you through the season.
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Autumnal Tips!
As we head into autumn it’s now time to think of the animals and wildlife that share
our world as they start increasing their reserves to ensure that they survive the winter
months. With a little time and effort we could all make a huge difference to the wildlife
visiting our gardens at this time of year.
Feed the birds
Why not make or buy a variety of foods to help
wild birds survive the autumn and winter months?
Bird cakes are quick to make and can also help
you to clear out your cupboards!
• Lard is the best fat to use for making bird
cakes
• Warm the fat and mix in dried fruits, grated
cheese, bread scraps, bird seed and crushed
nuts. Do not include salt as this causes
dehydration.
• Make a hole in your yogurt carton, small pot or
clean coconut shells and put some string
through before stuffing the pot with the fatty
mixture ( if you want to hang it up). You can
even make a perch for the birds by adding a
stick to the mixture before it sets.
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•
•
Bird cakes are best in small quantities to keep
them fresh and can be stored in the fridge until
you need them.
Place the cakes onto bird tables or hang them
to attract a wide variety of birds.
Please remember to put out fresh water as well
as food during the colder months. Birds need to
bathe as well as drink as this keeps their feathers
in top condition. A good tip is to use boiled water
that is then left to cool as it doesn’t freeze so
quickly. Do let us know if you get any visitors!
Fireworks
Hedgehogs and minibeasts
Talking of bonfires leads to the subject of
fireworks. Love them or loath them we
have to appreciate that many animals don’t
like them. Animals’ senses are much more
delicate than ours and they hate the smell
of fire, bright flashes and noisy bangs and
screams. This is particularly the case with
outdoor caged pets, cats that are not brought
in at night and wildlife. Dogs have super
sensitive hearing and often suffer even when
indoors so remember to speak to your vet or
pop up to the Woodside Shop and speak with
us about how we can help settle your pet at
this time of year. To minimise any stress you
can move caged rabbits and guinea pigs into a
shed/garage, walk dogs before fireworks are
set off, bring cats indoors, shut curtains and
leave the TV or radio on if you’re going out.
Remember not to overwhelm your pet - as
hard as it may sound it is best to ignore their
behaviour and be as normal as you can. Don’t
feed your pet’s fear by cuddling them tightly,
smothering them with kisses or feeding them
rich treats. It is important that you give them
space and a chance to hide.
Why not have a go at making a hide for a
hibernating hedgehog?! This project would need
to be tackled soon as hedgehogs are beginning
to look for that ideal spot for their winter sleep!
Gardeners tend to tidy their gardens in the
autumn but please remember that hedgehogs
and the minibeasts they feed on like longer grass
and places to hide under hedges. Don’t forget
to store all materials for burning away from the
bonfire site and then move the material to make
a safe bonfire a small distance away. Moving the
materials will ensure that hedgehogs, frogs, toads,
newts and a myriad of minibeasts are not injured
when the bonfire is lit.
Final Checks
Now’s the time to check that dog coats still fit
and are in a good state of repair. Also check the
batteries on any collar lights to make sure they
don’t let you down when you need them most!
Check hutches and other housing to ensure that
they are draught free and watertight - it won’t
be long before the dark nights turn autumn into
winter. It is also a good time to put more bird
boxes up so they have a chance to weather a bit
and become more attractive by the spring. WOW
can’t you just talk the seasons away if you try!!!
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Contact Us:
General Enquiries: 0116 233 6677
Fundraising Enquiries: 0116 232 4932
Email: [email protected]
FIVE POUNDS
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Woodside Animal Centre
190 Scudamore Road
Leicester, LE3 1UQ