WDC EU success!

Our friends, Whale & Dolphin Conservation, have recently had a great success: the majority of EU parliamentarians have voted in favour of a resolution to ban the movement of whale meat through EU ports … all thanks to WDC's tireless campaigning.

For many years, WDC's Stop Whaling team, along with other NGOs, such as Humane Society International, have campaigned to stop whaling, and this is a big step in the right direction.

The EU currently allows whale meat and whale meat products to be carried by ships docking at EU ports, despite the UK and many other EU countries being opposed to whaling. Southampton, Rotterdam, and Hamburg have handled Icelandic and Norwegian ships carrying whale products in the past, and a recent WDC campaign to end the practice was supported by over 100,000 people.

The resolution being put forward strongly condemns Norway's whaling, and it's trade in whale products, and the vote by MEPs shows that the vast majority are against whaling. Of course, it's early days, and there is still much work for WDC and other organisations to do, to ensure that MEP's support is turned into a legal ban, but it's a very promising step.

Astrid Fuchs, the WDC Stop Whaling lead, says:

"WDC has worked very hard with MEPs to get them to support our view on this issue, and we are delighted with the outcome as it sends a strong signal to the EU Commission and all Member States: Killing whales is cruel and unnecessary and not at all in line with EU policies. WDC has campaigned on this issue for years and it is good to see progress."

With the resolution, the EU Commission now has a clear mandate to stop the indirect support of whaling activities, calling for it to 'look into all possible ways of ensuring that whale meat is no longer legally allowed to transit through EU ports, including by recommending a ban on such transits as an exceptional measure.' It also calls on Norway to cease all commercial whaling operations, and to abide by the current international ban on commercial whaling and trade in whale meat products.

Fuchs concludes:

"WDC will continue to push to ensure that the calls of the EU Parliament – which acts as the voice of the public in Europe – are followed by the necessary actions."

The WDC will be continuing its work, engaging with EU Member States, and pressing for diplomatic action against Norway, unless it stops whaling. We'll keep you posted on the latest updates and news from WDC and its fight to end whaling. In the meantime, find out more about its efforts on its website … click the logo, left, or keep up-to-date with all the latest developments on Facebook and twitter.

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Scout's Visit to Buckham Fair!

Sunday the 20th of August saw this year's Buckham Fair, a good old-fashioned country show, held on the outskirts of Beaminster, which is not too far from Hubble and Hattie HQ. 

First established in 2008, by none other than Martin Clunes himself, Buckham Fair, which includes a small pony and dog show, has been going from strength to strength for near a decade.

One of our very own authors, Tracey Ison, and her loveable pooch Scout, of For the Love of Scout fame, were in attendance and Scout was entered into the Best Rescue class – and he only went and placed first!

Photo courtesy of Nicky Woods Photography

The Best Rescue class is open to all breeds of dog that have been re-homed, and there are a number of factors that judges look for before deciding who should take the crown, which include:

• The condition of the dog, according to the length of time in their new home
• Any mental or physical problems that they have, or are in the process of being addressed
• The benefits the dog has brought to their new family

This is a huge testament to not only Scout himself, but to Tracey and her family, for the love and care they have given to their latest poochy pal since taking him in, not forgetting the effect that he has had in his new home! So, huge congratulations are in order all round!

Tracey even managed to give a copy of her book to Martin whilst he was awarding Scout's rosette. We hope he enjoys it as much as everyone else seems to have, because it really is a great book!

Photo courtesy of Nicky Woods Photography

If you want to purchase your own copy of For the Love of Scout, you can do so right here.

Dog Power vs Horsepower

Remember a short while back, when all anyone could talk about was Michael Phelps racing a shark? Well, we believe Land Rover have hit on something far better, with their mutt vs machine snow tunnel challenge!

Let's break it down:

• Discovery Sport takes on a dog sled team in a unique race at Vesileppis Ski Tunnel in Finland, pitting their 286HP Ingenium 4-cylinder power against champion sled 'dog power'
• Intelligent all-wheel drive technology, Terrain Response system¹ and advanced Ingenium^® gas engine to help the Discovery Sport handle the slippery Arctic weather conditions
• Land Rover helps sled dogs resume cold-weather training during the Finnish summer
• Versatile Discovery Sport is now Land Rover's best-selling model, with 75,000 customers taking delivery globally so far in 2017
• Watch the full race here: https://youtu.be/AUz01Cgr-ac

August 25th, 2017

With an estimated 50 percent of Land Rover customers globally owning or regularly traveling with a dog, Land Rover has put its canine capability to the test by transporting a team of sled dogs to an underground snow tunnel in Finland for a unique training challenge.

This year's warm summer had left much of Northern Europe without snow. Land Rover took a team of husky dogs in need of training ahead of winter championships to the Vesileppis Ski Tunnel in Finland, for a much-needed sprint around a snow track.

The Discovery Sport SUV provided stiff competition for Finnish middle distance champion, Laura  Kääriäinen and her tea of six sled dogs. They went head-to-head in Vesileppis Ski Tunnel, Finland, in a unique 1km sprint around the dedicated underground tunnel.

The undulating tunnel is carved into the bedrock 115-ft below ground level and kept at a constant 28.4 °F to maintain a blanket of snow 8-in deep through the summer, making it the perfect place to put the Discovery Sport vehicle's all-terrain capability the test. 

Setting off in opposite directions, the dogs had a straightforward task. Once they had negotiated the first incline they were able to pick up and maintain speed – typically around 22mph. In contrast, the path of the Discovery Sport was blocked by a set of ice blocks, which put its wheel articulation and traction control systems to the test, on one of its laps.

Over two laps of the tunnel, the sled team and Discovery Sport were closely matched but the Land Rover, which was forced to negotiate a set of unique ice obstacles along the way, won the challenge by a nose.

Driver Karl Richards, Lead Engineer for Stability Control Systems at Jaguar Land Rover, said "Snow is one of the most demanding surfaces drivers will encounter during winter around the world and Discovery Sport proved to be as comfortable in these conditions as the dogs. Land Rover's advanced Terrain Response® technology and intelligent four-wheel drive system ensure our premium compact SUV is in a class of its own when it comes to off-road driving – whether you've got two legs or four.1"

Before the race, the dedicated accessories in the Discovery Sport ensured that lead husky Jami was safely transported to the snow tunnel to join his snow-starved pack. An optional full height luggage divider from Land Rover prevents pets from accessing the passenger compartment and easily fits into anchor points inside the vehicle, while an available rubber trunk mat protects the trunk floor and even contains minor spills.

Available convenience features including Land Rover's Gesture Tailgate made easy work of getting Jami in and out of the premium compact SUV while the surround camera system, accessed through the 10-inch central touchscreen1, allowed driver Richards to keep an eye on the dogs when manoeuvring inside the tunnel.

1These systems are not a substitute for driving safely with due care and attention and will not function under all circumstances, speeds, weather and road conditions, etc. Driver should not assume that these systems will correct errors of judgement in driving. Please consult the owner's manual or your local authorised Land Rover Retailer for more details.

²Driving while distracted can result in loss of vehicle control. Do not operate, adjust or view the navigation or multimedia systems under conditions that will affect your safety or the safety of others. Only use mobile phones and other devices, even with voice commands, when it is safe to do so.

About Land Rover

Founded in 1948, Land Rover designs, engineers, and manufactures its vehicles in the United Kingdom. For almost 70 years the brand has built a reputation for providing its clientele with some of the most luxurious and capable vehicles in the world; whether driving through the heart of the city or traversing the countryside on- and off-road. Today's Land Rover lineup includes the Discovery and Discovery Sport; Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar and Range Rover Evoque. Land Rover is full engaged with sustainability initiatives and social concerns with continuous involvement in environmental and community programs. For more information, visit the official Land Rover website at www.landroverusa.com.

About Jaguar Land Rover

Jaguar Land Rover is the UK's largest automotive manufacturer, built around two iconic British car brands: Land Rover, the world's leading manufacturer of premium all-wheel-drive vehicles; and Jaguar, one of the world's premier luxury sports sedan and sports car marques. 

The company employs over 40,000 people globally, with 330 in the US and supports around 275,000 more through our dealerships, suppliers and local businesses. Manufacturing is centred in the UK, with additional plants in China, Brazil, India and Slovakia.

At Jaguar Land Rover we are driven by a desire to create class-leading products that deliver great customer experiences. The largest investor in R&D in the UK manufacturing sector, we have invested £12 billion (USD $15.7 billion) in the last five years and in the current year alone will spend over £3.5 billion (USD $4.5 billion) on new product creation and capital expenditure. Last year Jaguar Land Rover sold over 583,000 vehicles in 136 countries, with nearly 80 percent of our vehicles produced in the UK being sold abroad. 

Mike&Scrabble&TheBBD&PA!

Now, if the title of this blog has you confused, let me explain. The latest book from Scrabble, and her human Mike, Mike&ScrabbleToo – Further tips for training your human, has been shortlisted for an actual award! 

That's right, one of our very own is up for judging in the Graphic Novel category in this year's British Book Design and Production Awards!

To Quote the official BBD&PA website, the awards are "one of the most prestigious and popular literary events of the year, [recognising and promoting] the excellence of the British book design and production industry by celebrating the best books of the year." So, as you can probably guess, we are all super excited! Fancy a copy of the book to see what all the fuss is about? You can purchase one through our website. You won't regret it, promise!

This year's awards gala is taking place on the 18th of November at the very swanky Millennium Hotel in London's Mayfair, and we are keeping all our fingers and claws crossed that Mike & Scrabble take home the biscuit!

Congratulations Scrabble on producing another fabulous, now potentially award winning book- and congrats to Mike for assisting her to greatness by being her muse!