Celebrating Robbie Burns
Marian Horsburg piped in the Haggis, Jim Tulloch addressed it, and whisky, donated by Philip Whearty, was passed around. It was all executed magnificently. Dinner, with accompanying haggis, over, Graham Wallace spoke eloquently about some of Robbie Burns' history and proposed a toast to his memory, Graeme Blick proposed a toast to the lassies, and Kay Phillips to the laddies. Bryan Waddle added his voice to the celebrations and Philip Whearty proposed the thanks. The speakers were magnificent and very entertaining and their offerings will appear in a future Update, as will the many photos that were taken on the night.
But wait, there's more ... Speeches over, Marion took up her bagpipes again and played some Scottish tunes while members danced the Waltz and the Gay Gordons. The evening finished with a rousing rendering of Auld Lang Syne. For those who need a translation - and there were very many occasions during the evening when many members did! - the phrase translates literally to 'old long since' in English and means something akin to 'times gone by'.
We're talking new year resolutions...
Tidying the house before going to bed each night, meditating upon waking or taking the stairs at work.
What’s something quick, or easy, that you started doing that made a major positive change in your life?
What word sums up 2024, neighbours?
If 2020 was the year of lockdowns, banana bread, and WFH (work from home)....
In one word, how would you define 2024?
We're excited to see what you come up with!
⚠️ 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 ❤️