Tag: animals

The Dangerous Dogs Act New Amendment- How It Affects You and Your Dog

The Dangerous Dogs Act (section 3) is a law that protects the public from dogs that can cause harm. That does not only apply to banned breeds but any dog that is considered a dangerous threat. In May of this year the law was amended to apply to private property as well as in public spaces. This will impact on all dog owners as they will need to protect any visitor to their home as well as delivery drivers and post men and women. If they do not manage their dog’s behaviour when there is a visitor, delivery driver or post person at their door they risk committing a criminal offence.

At Not Just Pets we care about animals and their owners and we would like to share this vital information so you are aware of how to protect yourself and your pets. The National Animal Welfare Trust (NAWT) have some great information about how the Dangerous Dogs Act affects all dog owners no matter what size, age or breed.

The NAWT have a website and blog with a summary of what you can do to protect you and your dog in regards to the law. Below is a list of the steps they have suggested:

Ensure your garden is safe – this will not only make sure that your dog can’t escape out of the garden and be injured, or possibly be considered a threat but also protects unexpected visitors who will not be able to enter your property without your knowledge.

Manage your dog’s behaviour at your front door – Plan ahead and have a routine when there is a visitor at your door. You need to be able to have visitors at your door without them encountering your dog. Put your dog in another room or out in the back garden if that is secure.

Manage your dog’s behaviour when there is a knock on the door – You may need to help your dog manage its behaviour and seek professional training to help your dog and you. Your dog doesn’t need to bite someone for them to be considered a threat.

Manage the way your dog greets people – You need to make sure they behave in a way that is acceptable to all visitors. You might not mind them jumping up but others may consider that aggressive behaviour.

On the 16th July 7-8pm the NAWT is offering a free Webinar to help people become aware of the act and the amendment. Register for your place and you will be able to learn more about the act.

Owning a dog is a great responsibility and as the owner you are required to train your dog and keep them safe.

We look forward to welcoming you in store soon; remember we are open in our Bath store 7 days a week!

Any ideas and suggestions you have will be welcomed. You can follow us in many ways:

Facebook                Twitter             Pinterest

 We are now on Instagram! – notjustpets Follow us and see some fantastic photos!

We run regular photo competitions, quizzes, offers and promotions on our Facebook and Twitter pages, so why not “like” or “follow” us today! 

Get in touch via any of the above, or via our website or email at bathpets@aol.com or telephone us on 01225 461461. Or simply pop in, you’ll be welcome!

Benefits of pet ownership and children – Buying for the school holidays?

The schools are nearing the end of the summer term and parents are starting to think ahead to the 6 week summer holidays. Here at Not Just Pets we believe that it is a great time to think about buying a pet! Let us look at the advantages of getting a pet at this time of the year and also give you other information to think about.

Advantages of getting a pet for children at this time of year

Plenty of time to enjoy new pet – With six week off school the children will have plenty of time to play with and bond with their new pet. Without the busy mornings and homework filled afternoons.

Holiday research project – For older children this can be a good project for your child to research and read up on the pet they wish to adopt. You will be confident that they are committed to the pet if they take their time and do a good job.

Time to bond and set up a routine – Owning a pet requires a routine of feeding, grooming, playing and health checking. This all needs to be done to make sure your pet stays healthy and happy. The holidays will give enough time to be able to work out what and when things need doing without worries of other deadlines and projects. This will ease the pressure of your pet settling in.

Outside play, exercise and physical activity – Children with pets benefit from extra outdoor play and exercise. With longer daylight hours and nicer weather children will be outdoors playing with their pet. It depends on your type of pet of course!

A great way to introduce responsibility – Owning a pet is a great way to introduce children to responsibility. Even when the parent remains the main care giver for the animal you can give children age appropriate tasks to help care for the pet. Young children can help pour out water and food at dinner time. Older children can help groom and tidy their pets environment. Teens and young adults may be mature enough to be the main carer for some pets such as reptiles and small animals.

Owning animals also offers an experience of life and death. We don’t like to think about it but sometimes the worst happens and this can teach children about bereavement.

Pets can help with our children’s learning – Some children feel more confident tackling their homework when they have a pet to help. Reading aloud to a pet can give children confidence in their reading. I remember talking German to my pet cat when studying for my GCSE’s. He did a great job of listening!

Aids bonding among siblings – It has been suggested that siblings who take care of a pet together get along and form a strong bond. This will result in less falling out and bickering – music to any parents ears I am sure!

Also for children who do not have siblings owning a pet can help them learn about relationships, emotions and teach them about socialising.

Things to think about 

Will you be on holiday during the six week break? – Summer is the time of year most families go away on their holidays. Here at Not Just Pets we offer a pet boarding service! So why not book in your pet for a holiday as well? They will be kept in a safe environment, fed and watered everyday (our Bath store is open 7 days a week), given exercise, will be played with and given a health check to ensure they are happy and healthy. If your pet requires any additional care, just give the store a call and we will be happy to sort anything out and book your pets in.

Commitment and responsibility remains with the parents – When buying a pet for your children we always remind parents that the commitment and responsibility will always rest on their shoulders. No matter how much they begged, researched, pleaded for their pet, even the most responsible child can lose interest. When buying a pet make sure it is one that all the family will enjoy and love to take care of.

Make sure the pet is suitable for your lifestyle – Do you have the time, money, space and ability to take care of the pet? Pets need to be kept in a suitable environment and usually the bigger the better is required for their well being.  We would suggest looking into pet insurance to protect the investment of having a pet as vets bills can be costly and sometimes unexpected.

Not Just Pets has knowledgeable, experienced and well trained staff that will be able to help you choose the right pet for you and your family. We welcome people to come in and visit the animals we have in store and see which animal they think would suit them. Give the staff all the information you have about your family, lifestyle, budget and needs and they will be happy to pair you up with a new pet. The staff are happy to answer any question you have about the animals and will arrange a set-up to ensure you have everything you need before you leave for home.

Here at Not Just Pets want to make sure you have the best animal to take home. The first step of this is making sure we have healthy, happy animals here in store to choose from. We get our animals from reputable breeders that we know keep their animals in a safe and happy environment. As well as this we also take in rescue animals that are in need of a new home. We will always be able to tell you where an animal originates from and their story.

 

We look forward to welcoming you in store soon; remember we are open in our Bath store 7 days a week!

Any ideas and suggestions you have will be welcomed. You can follow us in many ways:

Facebook                Twitter             Pinterest

 We are now on Instagram! – notjustpets Follow us and see some fantastic photos!

We run regular photo competitions, quizzes, offers and promotions on our Facebook and Twitter pages, so why not “like” or “follow” us today! 

Get in touch via any of the above, or via our website or email at bathpets@aol.com or telephone us on 01225 461461. Or simply pop in, you’ll be welcome!

Keeping pets safe this summer

Summer has finally arrived here in Bath and we have been having some fantastic weather recently. This got all the staff thinking of different ways we keep cool and how we can help animals keep safe, happy and cool during summer.

So here are our top tips for keeping pets cool this summer

  • Place frozen water bottles on top of their cage and this will act like air conditioning as the cooler air will sink into the cage as heat rises.
  • Give them frozen fruit and veg to eat
  •  Pea bobbing! – Place frozen peas in a water bowl – Fun at the same time!
  • Ice pads are available to buy to help keep your pets environment cool.
  • keep them out of direct sunlight – move their cage or shade the room by drawing the curtains
  • Keep them hydrated – always have drinking water available
  • keep damp towels in their sleeping area to help keep them cool.
  • Do not ever leave your pet in a car for any length of time!
  • Do not leave your pet in the conservatory! – Like a green house it can get very hot
  • Travel bowls and bottles are a great way to give a drink when out and about
  • Billy+Margot Iced treats for dogs are a tasty way for dogs to keep cool! In fabulous flavours too!
  • Put rubber or rope toys in cold water and then freeze them giving a soothing chew toy
  • Reptiles can also over heat – you can use special reptile enclosure fans to ensure the enclosure has a cooler end for your pets to cool off in.

If you need to travel with your pets we suggest 

  • Use a windscreen  shade to keep them  cool and out of sunlight whilst in the car
  • Use a pet guard on the window so there can be a breeze without the risk of your pet escaping
  • Travel non spill bowls are great for travelling and keeping hydrated.
Why is there so much fuss about keeping dogs cool? Dogs do not regulate their body temperature the same way we humans do. They pant and have sweat glands in their paws and their noses, but not a lot of body heat is lost that way. So if a dog gets hot quickly, like being in a hot stuffy car, they have no way to cool down.  This is why we support the RSPCA campaign Dogs die in hot cars!
On our Facebook page we are running a photograph competition! Win a prize and your pet will have pride of place as our cover star on our Facebook page! The theme is What does your pet do to keep cool? Here are some examples of what Luna loves to do!

She loves to paddle in the sea and chase the waves

She loves the Billy+Margot doggie iced treats!

She likes to explore the rivers and streams!

We look forward to seeing your entries on our Facebook page (or tweet us!)

Let us know any of your keeping cool tips!

 

We look forward to welcoming you in store soon; remember we are open in our Bath store 7 days a week!

Any ideas and suggestions you have will be welcomed. You can follow us in many ways:

Facebook                Twitter             Pinterest

 We are now on Instagram! – notjustpets Follow us and see some fantastic photos!

We run regular photo competitions, quizzes, offers and promotions on our Facebook and Twitter pages, so why not “like” or “follow” us today! 

Get in touch via any of the above, or via our website or email at bathpets@aol.com or telephone us on 01225 461461. Or simply pop in, you’ll be welcome!