Animals

Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust

Leave no trace, give nature space urges Dartmoor

Dartmoor National Park Authority has launched a new campaign ahead of the Easter weekend, as they and their partners prepare to welcome people back to Dartmoor as lockdown restrictions are gradually eased . 'Leave no trace, give nature space' asks people to think about the positive impact nature and the outdoors has had on their lives during lockdown, and to show compassion and care as they...

Help Plymouth animal shelter fund TLC for its OAPs

A Plymouth animal sanctuary is urgently appealing for help to care for an increasing number of elderly and infirmed animals.

Woodside Animal Welfare Trust at Elfordleigh, Plympton, is one of the few charities in the South West to provide a forever home to animals with age or health issues.

But at a time when funding has plummeted during the Covid-19 outbreak, the cost of...

RSPCA braces for summer surge in abandonments after 282 calls in Devon last year 

The RSPCA is bracing itself for a surge in abandoned animals and fears the fallout from the Covid crisis could see more owners struggling to keep their pets.

Typically, the charity sees abandonment peak in the summer months. Between June and August 2019, 16,519 animals were reported abandoned to the RSPCA which accounts for 30% of all animals reported abandoned that year.

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Animal welfare crisis looms as Plymouth lockdown eases

A Plymouth animal charity is bracing itself for an unwanted pet crisis as lockdown restrictions ease this month.

Woodside Animal Welfare Trust has seen the number of animals in its care climb from 145 to 190 since the Covid-19 outbreak.

Now the Sanctuary, at Elfordleigh, on the edge of Plympton, fears it will struggle to cope in the coming weeks and months, as lockdown eases...

Doh! Homer’s keepers are seeing double…

Keepers at Living Coasts, Torquay’s coastal zoo, had to do a double-take recently when they discovered that European common lobster Homer had moulted for the first time in two years.

Aquarist Sam Worthington was particularly pleased, as it was the first time he’d moulted in her time at the charity zoo: “This exoskeleton is almost perfect - right down to the antennae and the eyes....

Plymouth pet rescue adopters’ club needs more people in its ‘pack’

An adopters’ club set up by a Plymouth animal charity to support its ongoing work with unwanted pets is looking for new members to join its ‘pack.’

Woodside Animal Welfare Trust’s Adopters’ Club was started two years ago to enable people who have rehomed a pet from Woodside to help other animals in its care.

For every animal adopted from Woodside at Elfordleigh, new owners...

Warning to dog owners as Storm Dennis hits Britain

With up to four inches of snowfall due to hit Britain this weekend as a result of impending Storm Dennis, gritters are out in full force to make footpaths and roads safer.

Though rock salt may help keep pedestrians and motorists safe on slippery roads and pavements, 48 per cent of dog owners are unaware of the hidden dangers that grit poses to their beloved pet.

Dr. Karlien...

Avoid fast fashion and help good causes

The RSPCA’s Charity Shop Challenge aims to encourage people to show off stylish second hand finds and save the planet whilst raising money for charity.

Fast fashion is clothing that moves quickly from catwalk to stores in order to meet new trends. The items are often cheap and disposable and ultimately end up in landfills.

The Charity Shop Challenge (January 20-26)...

Trust's 2020 vision

Wild Planet Trust is the Devon-based charity that runs Paignton Zoo, Living Coasts in Torquay and Newquay Zoo in Cornwall, plus several nature reserves in Devon. While 2019 was not a great year for the charity, there are, says Trust boss Simon Tonge, some reasons for optimism:

“Last year was not the best for visitor numbers, though we still saw 700,000 people come to our three zoo...

All creatures great and very, very small

This is an Nguru spiny pygmy chameleon. It’s just a few centimetres long. What could it possibly have in common with a black rhino? The answer is – Wild Planet Trust. The charity behind Paignton Zoo, Living Coasts and Newquay Zoo carries out conservation work in Tanzania, home to both species.

This minute chameleon - a species new to Paignton Zoo and sadly not yet on show to guests –...

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