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 The Ferrymead Wiggle Waggle Walkathon turned out to be a lot of fun for both dogs and their owners. The day was a great success for everyone involved; it raised $2062 for Dogwatch which will be put towards the building of a much needed isolation block of kennels.
Dogwatch are based at the site of the old Heathcote County Council's pound out at Bromley. They do their best to find homes for abandoned dogs who have not been lucky enough to be re-homed from the Christchurch City Council's shelter.
A total of 194 registered, and there were certainly more people than dogs as whole families came along. The weather was cold and drizzly, but with some breaks when the sun came out. No one seemed to mind if you were out of the wind.
It was a 6.2 km walk. There were no runners
on the day, and there was a 2km walk for the less active of us. Every
dog was made to feel like a winner, as all of them got a doggy pack
from Masterpet and Eukanuba
that had all sorts of treats in it, well worth the registration fee.
Some of their owners were lucky too with prizes of sparkling wine, a
camera, and a beauty voucher.
 The amount needed for our new kennels is about $150,000, which is a
huge amount for us. We have been fundraising for about a year now and
have a long way to go. The project will build a near replica of what we
have now with some modifications, giving an extra eight kennels in
total.
The dogs spend approximately five to seven
days in isolation for observation to see if it's carrying any virus
that we don't want. Parvo
is the main one we look out for. If they do have it, we have to put the
dog down to stop it spreading. It's a very nasty bug that tears away at
their stomach and bowel, and is very contagious as well.
Then there is carona and noro virus, ringworm, mange, and kennel cough. We have had the latter since last winter and can't seem to get rid of; it is equivalent to a human cold. We can't treat for all of these bugs as it is impracticable for lots of reasons, their infectiousness, and then the cost is generally huge if they need hospitalisation.
 The new block will have underfloor heating, the same as in our existing
block, new beds and their own toys. We will put in a radio for night
times to try and keep them more settled and quiet. We would like to put
in some concrete yards for exercise out of their kennels, but that may
not be in the budget, and may have to come later.
The new kennels will
also have a longer run area to allow for the dogs to sit out in the
sunshine. This is important for their all round comfort and health,
just like you and I need the sun and fresh air, so too do our dogs.
I'd like to thank the 12 volunteers went
along, and while none won a prize, they did do a great job as safety
wardens on the walk. Also a very big thank you to the team from Ferrymead
Vet who did all the hard work in organising this event. They worked
their little legs off, running the BBQ, organising all the spot prizes
etc, so there is much gratitude to them for their support of Dogwatch. Lastly, thanks to the Canterbury Canine Obedience Club for their agility display, which as always was very good.
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