Month: June 2017

The Great Get Together Bankside

On Sunday the 18^th June, thousands of street parties, picnics and baking competitions were held across England to remember MP Jo Cox, a year after she was murdered. Bankside Open Spaces Trust hosted the Great Get Together Bankside opening the streets to colour, laughter, music, theatre, food, drinks and of course…dogs.

No street party would be complete without dogs, so this year, Bankside hosted its first dog show ‘The Great Get Together Barkside’.

The show was hosted by Radio London’s Anna Webb of ‘The Barking Hour’ and was open to dogs of all shapes and sizes to help raise money for the London-based charity ‘All Dogs Matter’. Categories included Lord and Lady of Southwark, Best Rescue, Golden Oldie, Best Trick, and the winners of these categories was awarded the accolade of ‘Best in Borough,’ and took home a hamper of human and canine goodies.

Despite the heat, the dogs had a wonderful time hanging out in the ‘dog chill out zone’ complete with bunting, paddling pools, tasty treats and blankets from our sponsors and dog toys galore.

With help from our generous sponsors, the Great Get Together Barkside managed to raise £356 for the All Dogs Matter charity, an absolutely fantastic success. This money will really make a difference, helping All Dogs Matter to feed dogs, get them chipped, vaccinated, neutered and can help towards any veterinary costs.

It was lovely seeing such a fantastic range of dogs and owners and it was touching to see so many people turn up to watch the dogs strut their stuff.

The catchphrase of the day in honour of Jo Cox was “we have more in common than that which divides us”. Nothing more encapsulated this than the range of dogs, owners, and observers, all of whom came to show their support for All Dogs Matter. An absolutely wonderful, and forever memorable day.

With thanks to our generous sponsors: Hiro + Wolf; Fetch and Follow; Burns Nutrition; Lily’s Kitchen; Doodles by Dishwashee; The Darling Dog Company; and Sarah Whitehead’s Clever Dog Company.

 

It is perfect dog walking weather in London today, being neither too hot nor too cold. As such many Londoners are taking their canine companions to the polling stations across the capital as they decide who will be the next Prime Minister.

While tempers flare and blood boils in heated political debate, dog owning social media users have added an element of much-needed fun and joy to the proceedings and #dogsatpollingstations has picked up pace and is filling Twitter and Instagram feeds across the nation.

(Rolo & Roxy)

#dogsatpollingstations started with the 2015 general election and has since gained erm…’momentum’ at every major voting opportunity. According to Anna Webb from Radio London’s The Barking Hour, dogs at polling stations represent 53% of dog owning voters.

Social media is awash with pictures of dogs of all shapes and sizes outside polling booths obviously with no clue as to what is going on but happy enough to pose for a photo.

(Mr. F & his extra long snozz)

What are the rules on dogs at polling stations?

According to the Blue Cross animal charity, dogs are ‘generally’ allowed inside the polling station as long as rules are followed. You might even be lucky enough that a polling station member of staff holds your dog’s lead while you vote.

Guidelines from the electoral commission say that dogs can enter polling stations in an ‘accompanying’ role but should be kept on a lead and must not disrupt the vote.

Can I take a photograph of my dog inside a polling station?

It is not against the law to take a photograph inside a polling station but it is not allowed to communicate information about how someone has voted, is about to vote, or to communicate the unique ID ballot paper number so it might be best to take pictures outside so as to stay within the law. Breaking the law could lead to £5000 fine.