Acorn News News, views and more from Oak Tree
Autumn/Winter 2018
About Us... Working for our community; caring for animals; making a difference. Oak Tree has been helping animals for over 100 years.
l welfare and believe We are passionate about anima provide: that every animal matters. We pet owners. Guidance and practical support to munity. Education to support our local com d. Loving homes for animals in nee mals in our care. Individual support for all the ani Homing Most animals require some form of rehabilitation and veterinary attention on arrival. Staff and volunteers treat every animal as an individual, tailoring a unique programme to best suit each animal’s needs while they are preparing for life in their forever home. Our team also ensures prospective owners are equipped and ready to provide a comfortable and safe environment for their pet. Our Community work includes Resolving animal hoarding cases. Working with our partners at the foodbank, social services, housing associations and other local organisations to help vulnerable pet owners who desperately need it. Running community clinics to offer welfare advice and support to pet owners. Working with schools and community groups to educate the next generation of pet owners. We don’t charge for our services, but everything we do incurs a cost - equating to £1,900 a day (£700,000 a year). Your support is vital to the charity. Thank you. www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk
Welcome to our Autumn/Winter Newsletter. And what a year it’s been! By the end of September we had helped over 1,100 animals in our region who needed our help and we have managed to reach animals and people throughout our community who needed support, allowing them to stay together and avoiding unnecessary suffering. Animals are such an important part of their owner’s life providing companionship, love, fabulous memories and support when times are tough. The Oak Tree team work hard to be proactive and improve animal welfare, preventing problems before they arise meaning these important bonds are not broken and animals really can remain, where possible, in loving homes for life. We are delighted to open our first charity shop in Carlisle, with the second shortly to follow in Keswick.
Not only will these shops help raise much needed funds to support animals in our regions, but they will also provide a point where those, unable to travel to Oak Tree Farm, can access our support services. None of our work could be done without you, our amazing supporters and volunteers. Costing over ÂŁ1900 per day to help the animals in our region, every penny you donate really does make a difference. Whether you visit our tearoom or shops, attend our events, play our lottery, sponsor an animal, have a standing order or make a one-off donation, thank you so much. Together we can make a difference for animals in our community, thank you for your continued support.
Caroline
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Age is just a NUMBER Due to owner’s ill health, Rosie, a cat the charity had adopted out 12 years ago, found herself back at OTAC in February of this year. Rosie was by then, 15 years young. At her intake check, due to her behaviour, it was suspected she might have the condition hyperthyroidism, a fairly common condition in older cats. A blood sample was taken and confirmed this. Medication was started and the condition was quickly under control. Rosie needed a special urinary diet as well. Rosie proved herself to be a sweet, friendly and loving cat who still had her mad half hour of play and fun on a regular basis. A favourite with the team and volunteers alike. New families could potentially see past her medical issues, as they were easy to manage, but Rosie’s age really did work against her. Then finally, in June, a couple who specifically wanted to adopt an older cat decided Rosie was the one for them!
We’re delighted this lovely lady can retire peacfully in a home of her own Thank you to Co-op members who have chosen to support Oak Tree Animals’ Charity with their 1% as part of the Local Community Fund
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
It’s a Bear’s Life Bear came to Oak Tree with three other dogs when his owner could no longer care for them. Bear’s coat was matted and smelly so after a pamper session at The Groom Room he was ready to start his behaviour training. During his 7 month stay with us, Bear learnt many new things including practising calm behaviour, which eventually helped him find his new home. Since leaving Oak Tree in June Bear, now Berne has exceeded expectations. His new owners have taught him recall so that he can enjoy time off lead and, being a well-mannered boy, he now approaches dogs properly so is even making canine friends. Some of Bear’s recent adventures include trips to the seaside and Lake District where he has even learnt to swim. We are so proud of Bear and look forward to hearing from him again soon.
e r o m a c y S g n i n o s i o P Sycamore poisoning is considered a seasonal threat and can be fatal to horses. The helicopter seeds in autumn and the saplings in the spring contain hypoglycin A – a plant chemical that causes atypical myopathy in horses.
The symptoms are: Muscular stiffness Reluctance to walk Muscle tremors Sweating Depression High heart rate Dark urine, reddish in colour
To find out more about atypical myopathy, please visit our website
www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk A huge thank you to Pedigree UK who donated a ÂŁ10,000 grant towards creating a run and sensory garden for the dogs here at Oak Tree
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Tammy and Johnnie, two Shetland ponies, were recently rehomed with a family who asked for additional support from the team having had little previous knowledge of keeping ponies in the past.The family wanted to share a few words about their experience: Judith from the Oak Tree equine department was incredibly supportive throughout the whole process, and the support has carried on even after the ponies have left the Charity. Rehoming the ponies is such a rewarding feeling and we feel extremely lucky to have the two new residents on our farm in Seatoller, in the Borrowdale valley. The ponies are loving life in their new home on the lower fells. The Oak Tree team have helped to make a lifelong dream come true, and we can’t thank them enough
Education is the Key We are excited that our Community Team can now offer educational talks and workshops to schools, community groups and individuals in our local area. To launch this fantastic service, we held a pet drawing competition in conjunction with 23 local primary schools. We received hundreds of entries and two lucky winners received a Pony Fun Session prize here at Oak Tree Farm. Since then, we have been busy talking to local schools and nurseries, Brownies and Guides groups, the Carleton Clinic, Carlisle Food Bank and local community centre users. We are working with people on issues like responsible pet ownership, safety around dogs, the costs of keeping a pet, the importance of neutering and kindness to animals. One little boy thought that pulling a dog’s ears would be a good training method, so we think there is lots of value in education. If you know a school or community group who could benefit from our educational talks, please get in touch on 01228 560082 or email community@oaktreeanimals.org.uk A big thank you to Carlisle Canines Flyball Teams - Cumbria who gave a fabulous display at our Dogs Day Out
The Community Team was contacted by a gentleman looking for support feeding his cat. His cat was 19 years old and he’d had her from a kitten. He had recently been a victim of crime and, through no fault of his own, found himself out of work. He was understandably desperate to keep his companion cat and not have to rehome her but he could no longer afford to feed her whilst he was looking for work. Oak Tree was able to support the gentleman with cat food and litter until he got back on his feet. This was best for the cat too, as
Helping the Community
to uproot and relocate such an elderly cat would have been incredibly stressful for her, not to mention of huge detriment to the owner’s mental health. If we can help keep animals with good responsible owners who have fallen on hard times with short-term, temporary help, we will, whilst providing follow up support where needed.
A huge thank you to the fantastic staff from Cartmell Shepherd, Tech4 Office Equipment ltd, Cumbria Police and Letting Centre Carlisle for supporting Give a Day Carlisle
Please visit www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk to find out more about our work
5 minutes with Peter and Jill We moved to Cumbria a couple of years ago with our two rescue cats Ollie and Rosie. We used to walk a friend’s dog regularly where we lived previously and missed both the company and the walks.
when we see them find their new forever homes. Knowing that we have helped give all these animals a chance to enjoy their time while here at Oak Tree gives us a real sense of pride.
Enjoying the outdoors we decided to sign up for volunteering with the animals after visiting Oak Tree Animals’ Charity at an Open Day about 1+ years ago.
Oak Tree is a really nice place to volunteer. It has friendly staff and other lovely volunteers, as well as nice surroundings and it gives us a chance to do something different with our time.
We love having the contact with the animals and are always thrilled
A huge thank you to all our volunteers whose donated time in the first 8 months of 2018 equated to three full time employees! We’d love to hear from you! Please email our volunteer coordinator at lottem@oaktreeanimals.org.uk or visit our website www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk
Thank you to all Pets at Home customers who donated their VIP Lifelines to Oak Tree!
Oak Tree Animal’s Winter Catalogue 2018 We hope you enjoy browsing! Every item bought in this catalogue will help us provide support to the animals in our care.
CHRISTMAS CARDS
All Packs contain 10 cards and envelopes Cards read: “With all Good Wishes for Christmas and the New Year” New for 2018: Donkeys in the Snow.................... £3.99 Crittertree......................................................... £3.99 Bella and Friends................................................ £4.49
CHRISTMAS GIFT BAGS AND WRAP Gift Bags................................................. Small Measures 190mm x 150mm x 77mm Mouse with Dandelions.......................... £2.00 Robins.................................................. £2.00 Medium measures 228mm x 180mm x 100mm Garden Birds......................................... £2.50 Large measures 300mm x 250mm x 114mm Rabbits................................................. £2.70
Gift-wrap................................................ Robins..................................... £1.50 per sheet (single sided wrapping paper)
Hare........................................ £1.70 per sheet (double sided wrapping paper)
Giftware PAUA SHELL JEWELLERY Each piece of jewellery is created from the natural swirls of the sustainably sourced shell making each piece unique. New for autumn 2018 Earrings £6.00; Necklaces £7.00. Choose from: Unicorns Horseshoes Bees Please visit www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk to see the full range.
Oakleys........................ £13.99 Why not bring our mascot into your home and adopt one of our teddies. Suitable for all ages. Length approx. 35cm
Gooshakes................................. £3.00 each Add water to the contents and make your very own goo! Suitable for ages 3+ (colours may vary).
Hatching Unicorns....... £2.50 Submerge the egg in water and watch it start to crack to reveal your very own unicorn. Suitable for ages 3+
Hoodies..................................... £25.99 “Supporting Animals Together” Available in Navy, Hot Pink, Cornflower Blue and Purple. Please use the following size guide when ordering: Small - 36” | Medium - 40” | Large - 44” Please visit www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk to see our full clothing range.
Car window Stickers.................. £1.00 Help us spread the word by purchasing one of our car stickers
Keyrings.............. £3.50 Each key ring comes individually boxed
Pin Badges................................ £2.00 (with butterfly fitting)
Help your pets join in the Christmas spirit with these personalised items: Santa Claws or Santa Paws Ceramic Decoration.....................£8.99 A beautiful decoration with fixed text Santa Claws. This decoration can be personalised with a name up to 12 characters, and is ready to hang. Personalised Pet Stockings..................................................£14.99 A Lovely red velvet stocking with plush white cuff. Comes with attached hoop to enable stocking to be hung. You can personalise your stocking with a name up to 15 characters in length. The name entered will appear in uppercase. Please specify bone or fish on your order form. Dog bowl ‘Reserved For’.......................................................£14.99 14cm, Reserved for bowl name can be personalised up to 12 characters. Cat bowl...............................................................................£11.99 (available in blue/pink) This bowl features a fish bone design with the word Meooww and can be made unique by personalising the front with your pet’s name followed by food or water (up to 15 characters). Personalised Blanket............................................................£16.99 Personalised Pet Paw Black Bath Towel. Can be embroidered with a name (up to 12 characters). The name entered will appear in upper case. If you are ordering a personalised item please be sure to add your phone number or e-mail address to the order form in case we need to contact you to confirm any details.
Gift section order form... Please complete this order form and return to: Autumn/Winter 2018 Catalogue Orders Oak Tree Farm, Wetheral Shields, Carlisle CA4 8JA Item
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For horse-lovers who love a bargain, the Tack Shack, located in Orchard Yard is a real treat, and anyone looking for collectibles will find a perfect Bric-a-Brac store to rummage through!
The Barkery, our dog-friendly tearoom, serves delicious home-made food every day and is well worth a visit.
The Charity’s first ever off-site Charity Shop in The Lanes, Carlisle, is now open for business! Not only does the shop stock a large variety of second hand goods, it also serves as a hub for the community and a place to seek advice and find out more about the services available for pet owners. We need a constant supply of goods to make these ventures a success, and urge anyone thinking of having a clear out, to consider donating their items for sale. Every penny raised will feed directly back into the Charity and will help local animals in need.
Oak Tree’s Charity Shop in the Lanes, Carlisle, is open Monday – Saturday | 10.00am – 4.00pm
IMPROVING
LIVES
Here at Oak Tree we are always looking to find new and fun ways to keep our dogs and cats as contented and stress-free as possible as they await their new homes. We have just seen the completion of our Snuffle run, an area of our woodland which has been securely fenced off, so dogs can sniff, dig and explore off-lead to their hearts’ content. Our new cat garden is also up and running, and enjoyed daily by our feline residents. An outside, escape-proof pen with natural grass, plants and toys that cats can enjoy, this really is a great addition to our cattery. Plans are also being drawn up to develop a sensory area/garden opposite the main kennels. Thanks to funding from Pedigree, work on this area will commence soon. We are also in the process of developing a sensory room in the cattery so that the cats can also benefit from more enrichment.
If you would like to make use of our snuffle run or paddock they are available to book for a small fee.
Call 01228 560082 for more info or to book Thank you to Tesco who donated £4,000 to create a “Snuffle Run” for dogs in our community woodland Thank you to Bunzl Cleaning & Hygiene Supplies for their very generous donation towards the animals in our care.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
FROM STREET DOG TO LIFESAVER Since her adoption from Oak Tree in 2014, five year old collie Morag has passed her final assessments to be awarded the much sought after green tag of a Lake District Mountain Rescue Search Dog Association (LDMRSDA) graded search dog and joined the volunteers of the Penrith Mountain Rescue Team. The LDMRSDA is a specialist team dedicated to the training and deployment of search dogs with their work primarily taking place in Cumbria. Morag’s training involved passing more than
16 rigorous assessments during a 16-month period including avalanche training. Now she and her owner Matt can be called out at any time of the day or night to work in some of the most challenging terrain and conditions. From struggling with separation anxiety and wanting to chase cars at Oak Tree, Morag’s playful and gentle nature has made her a favourite among the ‘dogsbodies’ who sit out on the fell in all weathers waiting to be found. What an ambassador for Oak Tree Morag is. We are so proud of her.
STILL TO COME IN 2018
November
FRI Fright Night in the Woods 2nd
This year’s event will be spookier than ever. Do you dare enter the woods? To book call 01228 560082. (First session now booked)
SUN Remembrance Service
11th A chance to remember those (both
human and animal) who have fought so bravely in war. Service starts at 2.30pm.
FRI Charity Auction
30th In aid of kids & kittens in partnership with Cash for Kids. £30 ticket includes hot buffet supper. Call 01228 560082 to book.
December
SAT Christmas Fair 1st
Begin the festive season here with Father Oakley and his elves. There will be stalls galore and plenty of Christmas cheer. To enquire about stall pitches call us or email: events@oaktreeanimals.org.uk
We do hope that you will come along and support the charity at as many events as you can - we couldn’t run them without you! For more information on any of our events, please visit the “What’s On” section of our website at www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk or call 01228 560082
Thank You For Your Support Tree resounded to the sight and sounds of Illyria’s May Oak production of Dr Dolittle. Children and adults became immersed in the story of a man who could talk to animals, brought alive by amazing puppets and actors. saw our biggest Summer Fair yet. We had over June June 1,000 people come and join in the fun. A huge thank you to everyone who came along and helped to make this event so successful, including Carlisle Canines for their fabulous flyball display and Pets at Home Carlisle & Penrith for their support throughout the year.
organised our first Dogs Day Out event in July July We which was a huge success. A big thank you to everybody who attended this event including: Penrith Mountain Rescue Team for their fantastic display and Paragon Veterinary Group for providing free health checks for dogs. Despite the very hot weather dogs took part in a fun Dog Show, measured the waggiest tail on our Wag-o-Meter, undertook MasterDog IQ and cooled off with wet towels and paddling pools in the Cool Zone.
Thank you to Peter Jackson Carlisle for very kindly raising funds by holding an Easter raffle
How you can help... There are so many ways in which you can support and help change the lives of animals in our care! You could:
Volunteer: join our friendly volunteer team. From working with animals to helping out in the Barkery or charity shop, there’s an opportunity for everyone! Visit We are open every day 10am-4pm
Leave a gift (we wouldn’t exist without gifts in wills)
Arrange
Regular giving: join our lottery, set up a standing order or sponsor an animal
Donate... goods for our charity shop or second hand tack and pet equipment Attend our events!
Choose Oak Tree as your Charity of the Year
a fundraising event
Please contact us to find out more! Tel: 01228 560082 Email: info@oaktreeanimals.org.uk Check out our website at www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk Visit our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In pages!
A huge thank you to Immortal Art Studio and Billy for raising money at their fundraising dog walk
We are so grateful for the generosity of our partners, without whom so much of what we do at Oak Tree just wouldn’t be possible! This summer, we were thrilled to take part in Give a Day to the City, working with our local community to make our beautiful onsite woodland accessible to everyone.
Thank you so much to Tesco for providing an incredible £4000 through their Bags of Help grant scheme – and thank you too to everyone who voted for our project!
Thanks so much to the organisers, and to all the incredible volunteers from CAD Connections, Cartmell Shepherd, Cumbria Police, Tech4 Office Equipment Ltd and Letting Centre Carlise. You are all amazing!
With this funding, we have been able to build a huge woodland Snuffle Run for our dogs, allowing them to play and explore in the great outdoors in safety!
Ellen Valley Riding Club held an Open Showing Show, with all proceeds from the event donated to Oak Tree. It was a wonderful day and we are so grateful for your support! Paragon Vets were a wonderful addition to our Dogs Day Out event, providing advice, pet first aid demos, and a weight management clinic. From our furry friends across Cumbria, we say a huge thank you! Thanks to the experts at the Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre and over 80 people from the area, our Bioblitz was an amazing success and we discovered lots of new species in our woodland – bugtastic!
We were delighted to receive £10,000 from Mars Petcare to develop an All-Weather Run for the dogs in our care, building each animal’s strength and confidence as well as providing a space for fun and exploring! Please keep voting for us in the Co-Op Local Community Fund to raise funds for an interactive Sensory Garden for our canine companions. Voting is open until the 27th October, so please get online and show your support for Oak Tree!
Small Animal Winter Tips As the dark and colder nights draw in it is important to remember:
Not to leave your pet outside unattended for long periods in the colder weather.
Wash your pet’s paws if they have been walking on pavements/roads which have been gritted or salted.
When in snow, check for any ice balls forming in between your pet’s toes. Breeds, such as Greyhounds, really do feel the cold so ensure they have a warm coat on when outside.
Ensure your dog (and yourself) can be seen on dark winter nights, with reflective clothing and leads.
Equine Winter Tips Help prevent mud fever by cleaning mud and dirt from your horse’s legs daily using tepid water. If your horse is rugged, always have a spare rug to change with if it gets very wet.
Check teeth - poor teeth make the horse unable to grind food properly.
Hoof care – it is very important to keep hooves clean. Stabled horses can get bacterial infections.
Water - check buckets and troughs regularly for ice. Water is the most important part of your horse’s diet.
Thank you to Ellen Valley Riding Club for choosing Oak Tree as their Charity of the Year for 2018
To help make a difference to the lives of hundreds of animals, please complete the form below and return it to us at the address shown on the back of this newsletter. Thank you. Your details - please complete in block letters. Title: Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/Other First Name
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THANK YOU we ca n ac hi ev e so mu ch mo re To ge th er
Oak Tree Animals’ Charity, Oak Tree Farm, Wetheral Shields, Carlisle CA4 8JA We are now open 7 days a week 10.00am – 4.00pm
Telephone: 01228 560082 Email: info@oaktreeanimals.org.uk Website: www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk General Manager: Caroline Johnson Fundraising and Communications Manager: Sarah Batty Oak Tree Animals’ Charity is a Registered Charity – Number 1169511 / SC048389. Copyright OTAC 2018. All articles and photographs remain the property of Oak Tree Animals’ Charity and may not be reproduced in any way without the written permission of the Charity. Company Limited by Guarantee 10404912 Registered in England and Wales.