#BringYourDogToWorkDay 2017

Britain’s most memorable day at the office is all set for this year!

Bring Your Dog To Work Day 2017 has been announced for Friday 23rd of June … plenty of time to show the boss!

Last year’s #BringYourDogToWorkDay was a massive success, with businesses across the UK welcoming dogs into the workplace … from vet surgeries and pet product manufacturers, to private jet charters, a regional police force, and … uh … us! And we'll be partaking once again this year, with hounds aplenty to keep us company during the day.

Organised by HOWND®, the cruelty-free pet grooming product company, this year will be the fourth BYDTWD, and it's looking to be bigger and better than ever. BYDTWD is intended to encourage businesses and their employees to bring dogs into the workplace. Why? Well …

As well as raising funds for good causes (last year it was All Dogs Matter), HOWND wanted to raise awareness of the benefits of having dogs within safe working environments. Numerous scientific studies have concluded that having pets around can reduce stress levels in the workplace. Workers who spend the day with their pets report increased job satisfaction, better team co-operation, and higher morale. Now, isn’t that something we’d all like?

Margaret May …
H&H's Dog Resources Administrator!

The great thing about BYDTWD is that ANYONE can join in and share their experience on social media … using #BringYourDogToWorkDay, of course. Now, not all workplaces are fit for dogs, and not all Bosses will say yes to a pooch in the workplace, but you can still get involved, even so. If you’re unable to bring your dog to your workplace, then your business – or any dog-loving employee – can become an official sponsor of the event. Donations can be made online, where businesses can upload a company logo (displayed on a dedicated sponsors page), and individuals can upload a ‘Pooch Selfie’ onto the ‘Dog With A Job Hall of Fame.’ Business sponsorship starts at £50, whilst individual donations – which can be made all year round – are a minimum of just £2!

No dog? No problem, Ziggy. 

What if you haven't got a dog? Well perhaps you can bring another pet into work … take Ziggy here, one of last year's participants … most definitely not a dog!

Head over to the Bring Your Dog To Work Day website to find out more …

https://bringyourdogtoworkday.co.uk

… and to find out more about becoming a business or personal sponsor, follow this link …

https://bringyourdogtoworkday.co.uk/sponsors

We'll bring you news and photos from Hubble & Hattie's Bring Your Dog To Work Day in July's Animal Magic.

Mike&Scrabble's Brighton Book Signing Adventure

Hubble & Hattie’s favourite graphic duo have been book signing. Cue cute pooches … 




Mike Dicks and Scrabble are one busy combo, but that hasn’t stopped them from meeting public and pooches alike whilst book signing at Zorian Artworks gallery, on Brighton beach.

Book signings are great opportunities for authors to meet the public, and a great way to discover first-hand why someone likes a book. Of course, in Mike and Scrabble’s case, it’s not only people who are queueing-up to meet the authors, but also the wise dogs who are training their own humans.

So, with a profusion of pooches expected, provisions were made to ensure that all dogs and their humans would be as comfortable as could be … delicious and refreshing (or so we’re reliably informed) Chicken and Beef flavoured dog beer from Snuffle was on tap, and doggy bags full of goodies, including water bowls and poop bags, courtesy DogBuddy, were handed out. Well-behaved humans were also catered for, of course.

Loki, and owner, Sarah. 

“It’s been glorious today,” says Mike, “meeting dogs from Brighton and meeting people who have followed Scrabble and I on Twitter or Facebook and suddenly figured out we are down here is amazing."

As any fans will know, Mike and Scrabble’s relationship came about during difficult times for Mike, so it’s no surprise that there were plenty of people in attendance who had also been supported through difficult times by their dogs, and found a real connection with Mike&Scrabble.

Mike says, “The stories that people tell are just amazing – it’s been a joy. You sit there on social media or writing in your PJs at your desk, and you do get likes and affirmation from people – but when you meet somebody who's actually touched by your story then it’s a whole different feeling.”

Of course, we all know you want to see the dogs who attended … extra special thanks to Brighton Journal, Alex Finn, and Adam Heppell for letting us use these  …

You can read the full article on the Brighton Journal’s website, here, and its full interview with Mike Dicks, and Scrabble, here.

Expect to see many more exciting projects coming from Mike and Scrabble this year … watch this space!

Click the book covers in the pic above to find out more … and don't forget to keep up-to-date with Mike and Scrabble's latest news and happenings on social media … 

            

A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free

In today's post, we take a look at Whale & Dolphin Conservation, an organisation undertaking some amazing work, helping some amazing animals.

Minke can sometimes be seen off Dorset's Jurassic Coast.

Being situated along Dorset's Jurassic Coast, many H&H staffers are used to seeing dolphins and porpoises … you may even be lucky enough to see Minke and Long-finned pilot whales, around the Lyme Bay area. In the last few years, some of our local harbours have had 'summer residencies,' with a dolphin or two deciding to stay and enjoy the warm seas and watch our antics.

So, in a change to spotlighting a land-based charity, we thought we'd focus on a charity that deals with marine mammals. Dedicated to the protection of cetaceans throughout the world's oceans, Whale & Dolphin Conservation (WDC) has become a true authority on these animals.

The critically endangered Vaquita.

WDC aims to make the world a place where every dolphin, whale, and porpoise is safe and free. Established in 1987, it has grown to become a leading NGO in this field, operating globally from offices in the UK, North America, Latin America, Australia and Germany.

As with all charities, its work is pretty varied, and, aside from the usual campaigns to engage the public and raise awareness, it carries out vital field work and research, as well as education and outreach programmes to ensure that people are aware of the threats faced by these animals. Public awareness is vital, of course, but so is communicating the science behind its work, and a large part of WDC's work involves advising governments on the latest scientific findings, and fighting attempts to restart commercial whaling, stopping the practice of keeping cetaceans in captivity, banning the trade in whale meat, and managing marine environments to create protected areas … enough to keep them pretty busy, as you can imagine.

A Blue Whale – Balaenoptera musculus. Looks pretty musculus to me.

WDC Kidzone. Not just for kids.

Unsurprisingly, WDC's work covers many areas, so there's no better place to explore its work, and see its latest projects in action, than on the WDC website. You can also learn about the 80-plus species of whale, dolphin, and porpoise that make up the cetacean 'family' – from the highly endangered, 1.4m Vaquita, to the mind-blowingly enormous 29m Blue Whale. If you've children, checkout the WDC Kidzone … not only is it a great introduction to the issues confronting our seas and cetaceans, but there are also plenty of fun facts and activities. In fact, it's a pretty good place for adults to learn stuff, too.

Download your own 
colour-and-keep mobile!

For all you teachers out there, you can download resources and activities for your students, too – from the award-winning Dolphin Diploma initiative, to colouring sheets, cutout-and-keep mobiles, and education packs.

Of course, all charities need supporters, and there are plenty of ways you can help the WDC to help these animals. From whale or dolphin adoptions, to sponsored walks, swims (of course), and even an Icelandic trek, to name a few. Or, of course, if you're more of an 'armchair participant,' you can make a donation to help WDC. And no charity would be complete without an online shop.

If you're more of a 'days out' person, then the WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre at Spey Bay should most definitely be on your bucket list. From land-based dolphin watching, wildlife walks, and other events and activities, to an interactive exhibition that lets you control dolphin and river cams … all without getting your feet wet! There's plenty of gifts, too, and a café so you can refuel … or why not check out the recommended places to stay, and make an adventure of it! You can even volunteer and help with the Centre's vital work. In the words of Simon King OBE;

"Scotland is one of the best land-based dolphin-watching hot spots in the world"

… and there's nowhere better placed for a spot of cetacean spotting than the Scottish Dolphin Centre.

Keep up-to-date with the latest news and goings-on at Whale & Dolphin Conservation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube …