Could you 'Trick or Pet Treat' this Halloween & collect for animals at the GSPCA & safety tips
Submitted by Steve on 10:59, 28th Oct, 2015 |
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Halloween Safety Tips for Trick or Treating
Kids look forward to Halloween for many reasons. They like the dressing up in costumes but the mostly they like it for the candy and treats! Who wouldn't? Even some adults still like to go our trick or treating. It makes them feel young and happy again. While this section sticks mainly to guidelines for kids, they are just as useful for adults.
Some parents like to take first dibs on some of the candy that the kids have picked up during the night. It's their reward for taking them around from house to house! We suggest that you watch the candy intake when you all get home, too much at one time can lead to stomach aches and indigestion. That includes mom and dad as well!
Make your child's Halloween a memorable holiday and they'll have good memories that last a lifetime! If you are taking your kids out for the night, dress up as well. Mom and dad should get into Halloween as much as the kids do!
Trick or Treating should be one of the great adventures of Halloween for kids! They can get dressed in scary costumes and go door to door, begging "Tricks or Treats!" from neighbors or at the local mall. Lots of small towns have a Halloween Safe Night at the community center or school so kids can Trick-or-Treat safely but going door to door is the stuff of childhood memories! It should be a fun time, without trouble and pain, so following some easy tips can keep your child safe every Halloween.
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Children should always go out trick or treating accompanied by a responsible adult. If you have a group of kids going, the parents should choose two or three of them to go along and keep an eye on things.
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Some towns set a curfew for trick or treating which makes it easier for townsfolk to know who's coming to their door. Make sure and stick to the curfew times and stick to subdivisions and areas with a lot of homes so your kids can get in as much trick or treating as possible in a few hours time.
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Plan a safe route so parents know where their older kids will be at all times. Set a time for their return home. Make sure that your child is old enough and responsible enough to go out by themselves. Make sure that they have a cell phone.
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Let your children know not to cut through back alleys and fields if they are out alone. Make sure they know to stay in populated areas and not to go off the beaten track. Let them know to stay in well lighted areas with lots of people around. Explain to them why it can be dangerous for kids not to do this. If they are going out alone, they are old enough to know what can happen to them in a bad situation and how to stop it from happening.
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Instruct your children not to eat any treats until they bring them home to be examined by you. This way you can check for any problem candy and get the pick of the best stuff!
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Instruct your child to never go into the home of a stranger or get into their car. Explain why this is not a god idea and what to do if someone approaches them and tries to talk to them.
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Make sure your child carries a flashlight, glow stick or has reflective tape on their costume to make them more visible to cars.
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Let them know that they should stay together as a group if going out to Trick or Treat without an adult.
Every year many children with parents or guardians head out at Halloween on the 31st October dressed up to celebrate the American tradition of 'Trick or Treat'.
With the growing concern of the consumption of sweets and sugar why not this Halloween raise funds for charity.
With the dark evenings it is important to ensure you follow some simple safety hints and tips, but this year could your Halloween night out help benefit the hundreds of animals in need in Guernsey.
At the GSPCA we currently have over 300 animals in our care and over 3000 are rescued, cared for and rehomed by the GSPCA every year.
When out 'Trick or Treating' why not instead this year say 'Trick or Pet Treat' and maybe add 'to help animals at the GSPCA'.
Whether donations of change, animal feed or even actual 'Pet Treats' every penny helps make a difference.
Not everyone celebrates the Halloween tradition and it is important to please keep this in mind and respect the wishes of those who decline, but for those that join in and support your collection please do celebrate and thank them for their generosity.
If you haven't got children or would rather not have them go out could your work place, group or school hold a 'Trick or Pet Treat' mufti day or event to help raise funds for animals at the Shelter?
An organised event we are running happens this Sunday as we have our Spooky Halloween Sponsored Dog Walk at Saumarez Park at 5pm with a top prize of £100 and for more details please click here.
Halloween Safety Tips for Trick or Treating
Children should always go out trick or treating accompanied by a responsible adult.
If you have a group of kids going, the parents should choose two or three of them to go along and keep an eye on things.
It is always best to keep to early evening to avoid upsetting homes where the residents may plan an early night due reasons such as their health or young children.
Plan a safe route so parents know where their older kids will be at all times.
Set a time for their return home.
Make sure that your child is old enough and responsible enough to go out by themselves (any doubts please ensure an adult is present and accompanies them).
Make sure that they have a mobile phone.
Let your children know not to cut through back lanes and fields if they are out alone.
Make sure they know to stay in populated areas and not to go off the beaten track.
Let them know to stay in well lighted areas with lots of people around. Explain to them why it can be dangerous for kids not to do this.
If they are going out alone, they are old enough to know what can happen to them in a bad situation and how to stop it from happening.
Instruct your children not to eat any treats until they bring them home to be examined by you. This way you can check for any problem candy and get the pick of the best stuff!
Instruct your child to never go into the home of a stranger or get into their car. Explain why this is not a good idea and what to do if someone approaches them and tries to talk to them.
Make sure your child carries a torch, glow stick or has reflective tape on their costume to make them more visible to cars.
Let them know that they should stay together as a group if going out to Trick or Treat without an adult.
Explain that not everyone celebrates Halloween and if they decline to donate or give then that is the persons choice and should be respected politely.
Some home owners will have animals and pets themselves and to take care when approaching or leaving a property. It is extremely important that where gates are present they are closed after use.
At the GSPCA we want all animals and people to have a fun and safe Halloween and for those looking to support us this Saturday thank you so much as we and the animals really appreciate it.
Steve Byrne GSPCA Manager said "This Halloween could you do something a little different to help animals in Guernsey?"
"Instead of 'Trick or Treating' could you say 'Trick or Pet Treat' to help raise funds for animals in Guernsey."
"Many of us as parents are concerned with the amount of sugar our children eat and many children love animals and helping them so why not combine the two this Halloween."
"We want to ensure those going out are safe whether helping collect for the GSPCA or for themselves so we have popped a few safety tips online to keep in mind before heading out."
"This Sunday we also have our Spooky Halloween Sponsored Dog Walk at Saumarez Park at 5pm with a top prize of £100 and we hope to see many owners and their dogs for the Park in the Dark walk."
"Thank you to all that choose to help us and the animals in our care this Halloween."
If you would like a copy of the 'Trick or Pet Treat' poster please call 01481 257261, pop into the Shelter or email [email protected]
Thank you for your support.
Thank you to The Travel Corporation staff who helped at the GSPCA with a mountain of donations to puppy play...
Here is some previous information regarding the puppies -
7 of the puppies under section 70 of the Animal Welfare Ordnance no longer belong to the man from the Slovak Republic.
The other 18 are being detained at the GSPCA due to the fraudulent passports and their age being younger than stated. This means they will have to have a period of isolation until they are vaccinated against rabies and hold valid pet passports which could take between 5 and 7 weeks.
Some are currently receiving treatments for ailments which they had when they arrived.
On Sunday 6th September the States Vet and GSPCA Manager gave an update to the press on the current care of the animals and explained the procedures which are currently being followed.
Steve Byrne GSPCA Manager "We are hugely grateful to all of the donations towards the care of the 25 Slovakian puppies at the GSPCA."
"The GSPCA team are all working around the clock caring for the puppies and they will have to remain isolated until such time that the States Vet is happy they meet Pet Passport legislation."
"Two vets have seen the puppies and both agree a number of them are much younger than is stated on their passports and after the guilty plea for forging the owner signature on the 25 documents for the pups we now have to re-vaccinate them for rabies and follow the Pet Passport protocols."
"At present we are unsure if the 2 people from the Slovak Republic want their 18 puppies back and before they could have them they would have to pay for all costs including daily care and treatments for the pups during the next 5 to 7 weeks, as well as their new Pet Passports."
"We have been informed they have left Guernsey and we are hoping that they will pass ownership over to the GSPCA."
"We have been in touch with Sloboda zvierat an animal welfare organisation in Slovakia who have informed us of their concerns regarding the puppy trade in their country."
"We have had a lot of interest and would like to let everyone know we operate a list for those looking to adopt animals from the Shelter and those in need can be seen on our website."
"For anyone looking to adopt a dog from the GSPCA you need to complete an adoption questionnaire which can be seen on our website or picked up at the front desk, but we already have a long list of names of families and homes looking for dogs."
"A great way to support the care for the puppies is by becoming an Angel Pen Pal sponsor which is a way to donate each month to help the many animals in our care."
"There are many concerns about dogs and puppies being transported across Europe and further afield."
"The GSPCA is a member of the EU Dog and Cat Alliance and in the next few weeks members will be meeting Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in Brussels to discuss the concerns and challenges that face dogs and cats across the EU as well as details of Puppy Smuggling across Europe."
"The Dogs Trust have written a report about the Puppy Smuggling Trade and also in the Express yesterday they reported on Eastern European gangs smuggling dogs into the UK."
"On our Animal Welfare Seafront Sunday this weekend we are hoping to have a collection point and display of pictures of the puppies for visitors to find out more details."
"We have had an amazing response to the towel appeal and thank the Homemaker Co-op in St Sampsons for volunteering to be a drop off point."
"The best way to support the care of the pups is by becoming an Angel Pen Pal sponsor as this means you can help them each month whilst they are with us and the many other animals in our care."
"We thank everyone for their continued support and will update with further details as soon as we can."
Here is a summary of the key actions from the Dogs Trust on-the-ground investigation work -
• Successfully smuggled a fake dog without a visual check at British borders in three out of four attempts
• Filmed three breeders in Lithuania, all of whom sold us puppies under the age of 12 weeks and arranged for passports to be issued via their own vet contacts
• Obtained eight passports from seven vets in Lithuania who falsified data on the passports in order to enable puppies under the age of 15 weeks to travel to Great Britain
• Filmed a vet in Lithuania who suggested giving a sedative to a puppy before travelling, implying that this is a way to smuggle a puppy through border controls unnoticed • Filmed seven vets in Romania,two of whom stated that they could falsify passport information for us (including one for a nine week old puppy)
• Filmed five breeders in Romania who had sold puppies to the UK in the past, all of whom said they could arrange fake passports for underage dogs
• Contacted one further breeder in Romania by phone who said he could arrange passports for eight week old puppies
• Visited nine sellers/breeders from Lithuania, Hungary and the Czech Republic selling puppies (via advertisement on UK classified websites) that had recently come over from Eastern Europe under PETS to be sold in the UK
If you are looking to adopt an animal and to complete an adoption form please click here.
To raise sponsorship and join our Giant Animal Mascot Race for free at our Animal Welfare Seafront Sunday please click here.
24 hours a day, 7 days a week staff and volunteers work around the clock at the GSPCA to ensure the animals are cared for and those in need can be rescued around Guernsey.
At present with the 25 Slovakian puppies and many other animals at the GSPCA we are continually appealing for animal feed and cleaning products.
One of the wonderful additions that has benefited many animals at the Shelter has been our Wish List which we have both on our website and a link to an Amazon Wish List.
Since launching our Amazon Wish List in October 2012 nearly every week we have had wonderful donations from honey for the hedgehogs to heat lamps to keep those ill nice and warm.
We are currently appealing for local business that wish to support the GSPCA to consider displaying a GSPCA Wish List Star on items that would benefit the animals in our care and to have a collection bin for those items.
By checking out our Wish List items you can see many of the items we use regularly and some which we have a special need for.
Steve Byrne GSPCA Manager said "The GSPCA Wish List has been a fantastic way those wanting to help animals in Guernsey make a real difference."
"We have been in undated with donations to help with the 25 Slovakian puppies, especially second hand towels which are ideal for bedding for them as we have to dispose after each use."
"Many of the items that have been donated are via online web shops and at the GSPCA we would love it if local shops and businesses would get involved by displaying a GSPCA Wish List Star."
"There are some very specialist items on our Wist List but there are items from Hills puppy food to wheelie bins, mops to honey that you can get from many stores around Guernsey."
"If anyone is interested in getting involved please get in touch with me at the Shelter on 257261 or email [email protected]"
Maybe your business would like to help the GSPCA in other ways in 2016, and to find out more information on this please click here.
The GSPCA always needs a variety of toys, equipment and feed which we occasionally source from Amazon due to the very economical prices. If you wanted to buy supplies directly for the GSPCA Animal Shelter then click on the link to Amazon below to find out what we need. Before you do please ensure you are registered with Easyfundraising as you can donate without it costing you anything when you shop online. To find out more on Easyfundraising please click here.
Thank you to everyone that has supported our GSPCA Amazon Wish List.
Have you got a GSPCA Hoody, Polo Shirt, Sweat Shirt or T-shirt? If not get yours by clicking here.
To find out about our Events, how to become a Member, Sponsor an Animal Pen, our Wish List, Corporate Sponsorship & Volunteering, , our New Build & Redevelopment Appeal and much more please click here.
There are many ways to support the work of the GSPCA and you can even donate online by clicking the paypal link below.
By post cheques payable to 'GSPCA' - GSPCA, Rue des Truchots, St Andrews, Guernsey, GY6 8UD
Or by phone 01481 257261.
To find out more regarding our Angel Sponsorship Scheme please click here.
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