ThePet.net co-founder vet Marc Abraham is one of the judges, alongside fellow dog-lovers Brian Blessed and Victoria Stilwell!

The winning pooch will get to represent Oldies Club for the following year. The only rule for this competition is that dogs entering need to be veterans, they do not necessarily need to be rescue dogs.

Oldies Club is a lovely charity that rescues and re-homes older dogs via a network of foster homes and works with other rescue centres to publicise the plight of their older dogs too.

Oldies Club has divided the UK up into 7 regions (North East, North West, South East, South West, Midlands, Scotland and Wales. The winner of each region will go forward to the Grand Final.

As well as becoming the face of Oldies Club for 2009/10 the winner will also win a dog bed worth up to £50 kindly donated by Kudos Pet Products and a signed copy of Pet Photography Now! by Paul Walker of Paws Pet Photography.

For information on how to enter your dog for the ‘Woof Factor’ here

1. Try to prevent problems before they happen. Inspect your pet’s eyes, ears, mouth and paws with a ‘home-health check’ every day, as knowing what’s normal will help you detect any problems allowing you to act quickly.
2. Groom your pet daily and add omega 3 & 6 supplements to his diet, this will not only increase your owner-pet bond but will also keep his skin and coat healthy.
3. Feeding can be a lot less expensive if you buy on-line in bulk; and why not supplement your dog’s diet appropriately with home cooked alternatives like grated carrot, pasta and rice? Although dogs can be vegetarian please note that cats do require meat in their diet.
4. Why not turn a hobby into a business and use any spare time effectively by starting up a dog-walking or pet-sitting service?
5. Use free leading social ‘petworking’ website ThePet.net to search for, or even add the most value-for-money pet-friendly businesses in your area. Sharing information with like-minded pet-owners helps everyone in these tough economic times.
6. Cancel your expensive gym membership and walk your dog more often!
7. Save on dental bills by learning to brush your pet’s teeth. It’s easy, and toothpaste for dogs comes in lamb and poultry flavours too!
8. Always invest in pet insurance. Accidents do happen and every pet deserves the best veterinary attention in an emergency.
9. Think of re-homing an abandoned or unwanted pet rather than buying an expensive puppy. Please consider an older dog or cat from your local animal rescue centre. Always buy a pedigree puppy from an Accredited Kennel Club Breeder and never from a pet-shop, newspaper advert or online.
10. Never ever abandon your pet, there are always people that can help out.

If you’re going too then make sure you come and say ‘Hi’ to ThePet.net founders Marc Abraham and Andrew Seel on Stand 10 in Hall 3.

Our ThePet.net Stand will also have something for the younger dog-fans too as we’ll be showing Sony Pictures Animation’s much-awaited latest movie, Open Season 2, starring Mr Weenie the Dachshund and a Poodle named Fifi. So if your family could do with a bit of a break – your are feet are hurting and your kids are tired – why not bring them along to our stand, watch the movie for a bit, and chill out on our funky beanbags?

And if you’re at Crufts on Thursday, then please come along at 1pm to help celebrate the ‘Year of the Rescue Pet’ with representatives of our nominated organization Hope Rescue who work slightly differently to other rescues by acting as a point of co-ordination between dog pounds and rescue shelters.

For more information and to buy tickets online visit www.crufts.org.uk

The one-hour show will start at 10pm GMT on this US-based and largest internet radio station in the world.

ThePet.net continues to work for the world’s animals as Marc discusses: How to best look after your pet in a credit crunch/recession – detecting health problems in your pet before it is too late, preventative health care and its importance (vaccinations, cleaning teeth, pet insurance), money-saving tips.

As well as:

• Choosing a pet that’s right for you
• Traveling with your pet
• Microchipping animals in rescue centers
• Puppy farms/mills
• Alternatives to owning a pet
• West Bank donkeys

For more information/to listen to the show follow this link:

http://rightsradio.com/how-to-look-after-pets-in-a-recession/

Hope you can all tune in!

1. Will your Christmas be spent at home or away? Leaving your pets at home will require the help of a responsible (and sober!) friend or neighbour to visit, feed and care for them.

2. Don’t forget that seasonal plants such as holly, poinsettia, ivy and mistletoe are all extremely toxic so please think very carefully when you’re busy decking your halls.

3. If you are staying local and having a party then spare a thought for nervous pets when pulling crackers or popping party poppers; perhaps shut them securely in a quieter room and checking on them regularly.

4. Christmas can be such a traumatic time for pets, with lots of noise and unfamiliar guests arriving, so please make them a priority otherwise they may get scared, try to escape and perhaps never return.

5. Brightly-coloured baubles and tantalizing tinsel are new and exciting objects for pets, who’ll most likely try to eat them causing all sorts of internal kerfuffles.

6. Securely attach any fragile glass decorations, making sure they’re kept out of reach at the top of your tree to avoid pets pulling them off, breaking them, or stepping on any sharp fragments.

7. Foodwise, there are hazards galore at this time of year. Regular readers will be well-aware that chocolate is extremely poisonous to dogs and cats (rule: the darker the more deadly), and any suspect ingestion should be reported to your vet immediately.

8. Symptoms of chocolate poisoning include vomiting, diarrhoea and increased urination, progressing to seizures and sometimes death.

9. Turkey bones can cause choking, constipation, as well as seriously damaging internal organs.

10. Make sure fairy lights and electric wires are ‘chew-proof’ from inquisitive puppies, kittens and even rabbits.

11. Another common danger at this time of year is anti-freeze; extremely palatable to cats, it will cause irreversible kidney failure if your cat even just licks his paws after walking through a puddle of the stuff, so be warned and check all outside areas and garages today.

12. Never ever give pets as presents, but if you are seriously thinking about getting your own furry friend, then please visit your local rescue centre in January, where sadly there’ll be plenty of confused new in-mates to choose from.

Finally, ThePet.net would like to wish all you and your pets a very happy and healthy Christmas and New Year, see you in 2009!

Parliament has already stepped up in support of pets as MP Bob Spink tabled an Early Day Motion on animal welfare, championing organisations such as ThePet.net for promoting responsible pet ownership nationwide.

Bob has two rescue ex-racing Greyhounds himself – Fossie Bear and Jessica – and was extremely concerned to hear the news that re-homing at The Retired Greyhound Trust is down a whopping 47 per cent on this time last year.

The credit crunch has resulted in thousands of panicking owners giving up on their pets for fear of even greater economic trouble but ThePet.net co-founder and TV vet Marc Abraham is urging people to please reconsider.

“Pet ownership doesn’t have to be as expensive as you’d think,” says Marc. “There are some really easy ways to cut the cost of pet care, such as replacing expensive commercial dog food with a healthy diet of home-made pasta and vegetables. People who may be considering taking on a rescue pet could be put off by worries of extra financial commitment but the benefits far outweigh the negatives.”

If you are bogged down with money worries, the last thing you want to do is get rid of the ultimate stress-buster. Just stroking a pet reduces tension and lowers blood pressure and walking a dog for just two 30 minute walks a day will burn off as many calories as a gym workout – without the expensive membership.

Marc is a firm believer in the slogan ‘A dog is for life, not just for Christmas’ and is urging the public not to forget those poor dogs in rescue shelters over the festive season by thinking of ways to spread a little Christmas cheer.

Marc continues, “Think about bringing a pet into your life this Christmas. Maybe not by actually re-homing one if it’s not practical but by visiting a rescue centre and taking a dog out for a walk, or by dropping in a gift to brighten up a lonely Christmas in kennels.”