MONDAY 6th SEPTEMBER 2010

Before                                                                                                                                                                                                                        After

Please come along, have a look around, let us know what you think, and support your local branch of the RSPCA.

Before                                                                                                                                                                                                                          After

In addition to all the staff, volunteers and Trustees who have worked hard to get this shop ready, we would like to thank the following who have kindly offered their products or services either for free or at significantly reduced costs to enable us to get this lovely shop fitted out at a modest cost:

Bob Furneaux-General Builder

Komet Carpets-Kingsteignton

The Royal at Babbacombe

Stan Owen-” Stan the Carpet Man”

THANK YOU TO ALL

As a general rule it is best to leave baby birds alone. If you find a young bird out of its nest it is probably a fledgling.The babies of most garden birds leave the nest just before they can fly. They are almost fully feathered and will try to hide in undergrowth where they are fed by their parents. Within a day of leaving the nest they can usually fly enough to escape predators and keep up with their parents, who will continue to feed them.

If it’s a nestling, (small fluffy, no feathers, skin visible) then it needs to come into care. It will not survive out of the nest as it needs the warmth of its siblings. It should not be put back into the nest as it may have been kicked out and that may happen again. Call the 24 hour helpline (0300 1234 999) or take to your nearest veterinary surgery. There is normally no charge  for wildlife.

Fledglings are fed by their parents. The parents are not usually far away and are probably collecting food but will not return until you have gone. Despite the risks, a baby bird has a greater chance of survival in the wild than it has being reared by humans. Human interference can reduce a young birds’ chance of survival.

If you have picked up a fledgling baby bird, put it back near to the place where you found it. Don’t try to return it to its nest as you may disturb other young birds. If you are concerned about its safety try to put it nearby on a ledge, or somewhere where it will be out of the reach of cats. Leave the site for an hour and only return if you are still worried about the bird. You will almost certainly find that the parent birds have taken care of their fledgling.

If you think a bird is genuinely orphaned or is clearly sick, put it in a warm dark box and seek assistance from your nearest veterinary surgeon during normal surgery opening hours.

If necessary offer a shallow dish of water,( make sure it’s shallow to avoid the risk of drowning). Do NOT offer the bird milk or food.

We get a lot of calls from people who have a fledgling gull in their garden or on a flat roof and the parent gulls are swooping down when they go outside. If the fledgling(s) are still on the roof there is nothing we could or should do.

It should be noted that whilst we sympathise with people that are being “attacked” by parent gulls, we are here for the animals’ welfare and if there are no concerns for the birds’ welfare then we have no grounds to remove it. Indeed it would be an offence for us to do that.

Caution:- Handling of any animal either domestic, wild, dead or alive may be potentially hazardous. Obvious dangers include bites, scratches and general hygiene issues. Common sense should be applied in all instances and if unsure seek additional advice or assistance. Personal hygiene should be taken into consideration after handling any animal whether it is domestic, wild, dead or alive.

For more information about baby birds including Sea Gulls please go to the link for the National website, click on All About Animals then enter “Baby Birds” into the search box.

We are working together with a number of local people who produce their own hand made crafts- Jewellery, Greetings Cards, Patchwork Gifts, Wood Crafts and many more. We will be selling some of our own new goods, plants, tea coffee cakes etc and their will also be a chance to have an angel card reading and to try out some exclusive skin care products.

SO PLEASE COME ALONG,  KEEP OUT OF THE SUN FOR A WHILE, HAVE SOME FUN AND SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BRANCH OF THE RSPCA :

Saturday 15th May 2010 11.30-4.00pm

FURROUGH CROSS CHURCH BABBACOMBE ROAD BABBACOMBE TORQUAY

FREE ADMISSION

Our raffle was drawn by the Mayor, Nick Bye, and there were some excellent prizes, including a bottle of House Of Commons Wine, donated by Adrian  Sanders.

The cast and staff at the Little Theatre were brilliant and put on an excellent show for us! Very funny and extremely well acted. We’d like to thank them all for their help and support.

And most importantly, we raised a staggering £948 pounds!!!

Any issues regarding an animals suffering or cruelty please ring our 24 hour cruelty line on 0300 1234 999.

Any issues regarding help with vet bills or ill animals please refer to our Welfare or Clinic pages for directions.

Thank you.

Keep warm and save money on your energy bills this year. RSPCA Torbay is working with switchandgive to help you compare deals and find the best energy option for your household. A typical home who has never switched before can save up to £398 per year. It’s a free and impartial service, so why not give energy bills the cold shoulder and start saving on your bills.

Call us free on 0800 074 0743

Or visit www.switchandgive.com/rspcatorbay

The “Wag of Widecombe” Tony Beard will be doing the honours for us, so come along and say hello and grab a bargain at the same time!

That’s 49 Courtenay Street Newton Abbot.  (Next to Truprint)

SEE YOU THERE!!

A brilliant total of £107 was raised and we are  very grateful to all who donated.