Avian Flu - the risk.
I used to work for a very large local poultry company, we delivered day-old chicks to Canterbury contract farms for them to grow the birds until they were the correct size to be collected and taken to the processing plant. Biosecurity, on these farms where usually intense, and clothing footwear masks, wheel spray at the gate, etc were compulsory.
The sheds/barns were audited for cleanliness and ensure pest control measures were in place. Perfect.
One day, along came FREE RANGE chicken. If you are thinking how do we keep the same biosecurity control over chickens that run in and out of the sheds/barns and can bring in all the bugs that overalls, masks and boots were stopping? If you weren't thinking that, let's take Avian Flu as the obvious example of why perhaps you should.
On any one farm, some sheds might be free-range while the others only metres away, still had to follow the original biosecurity procedures, as they were shed/barn raised.
I aired my concern and was told, it was best not to push it too hard. TUT TUT
If people want to eat FREE RANGE chicken, there is a risk that the whole poultry industry might suffer.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!