You may have noticed by now I have a special event next Thursday and we are donating money people from the event to Battersea Cats and Dogs Home because Tamlyn, our Creative Director is  is going to be running the London Marathon next year for The Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.
The Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, or “BDCH” as it’s called, is an animal rescue organisation with a very clear and inspiring aim – to never turn away a dog or cat in need of help. Every year, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home cares for over 10,500 dogs and cats.

Some really good reasons we are supporting them:

They have their work cut out for them. Just like we do with “cleaning up the internet” – their work could be said to be arguably more important.

• In the UK, according to the 2013 Dogs Trust Annual Stray Dogs Survey, 111,986 stray and abandoned dogs were being picked up by local authorities, and over 30,000 homeless dogs are sent to rescue to be rehomed, and over 7,000 are euthanized because new homes haven’t been found.
• For cats the situation isn’t really better. There is a growing number of abandoned cats and kittens and thousands are put down annually because they don’t have a home.

Their mission – to never turn away a dog or cat in need of help. And we can all relate to that – we aim to never turn away a human in need of help with their marketing! They also reunite dogs and cats with their owners, and if they can’t do this, they take care of them until the cats or dogs are rehoused.
Tamlyn got her cat Flo from BDCH. And she is running the London Marathon to support the organisation. So, we want to support Tam’s valiant running efforts too! Tam spotted Flo on the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home website (websites make a huge difference!) and it was instant love. She was “just having a look” and not even really going to get a car, but once seeing Flo’s picture, it started a series of events which led to Flo moving in one week later. Read more about that story here

Pets are loyal Let’s hear it for loyalty! They love you no matter what, even if you are having a rough day. Who isn’t up for a little bit of unconditional love? Maybe they don’t send you text messages or click “like” on your Facebook updates. But they give you love. Dog have a quality called Emotional Contagion which means they can sense how you feel and mirror your emotions. So, they can be comforting when you are sad, and share your joy when you have something to celebrate.
The Battersea Dogs and Cats Home are educators too – raising awareness about responsible pet ownership and pet health. Like we raise awareness on creating professional impressions with your website and marketing, and how different tools are used – they use education as a big part of their mission – for happy and healthy pets and owners too.

Pets have a positive effect on your heath and reduce stress levels Now there’s a a reason for you to pop on over to BDCH and choose your new friend: Scientific studies have shown a significant reduction of risk for heart attack and stroke. In addition pets help to strengthen immunity, keep blood pressure levels stable, and people with pets actually have fewer allergies (ironic!). Then there are the health benefits of regularly walking your dog (burning 204 calories an hour and you don’t even know you’re exercising!).
Bearing in mind all of the above, helping the BDCH do their work helps people find their pets – and people and their pets have better lives. By supporting them, we make a difference – and so can you!

How you can help (choose any one of these)

1. Donate to Tamlyn’s marathon through Just Giving
   Tam has an ambitious fundraising goal and we will be calling in help from all angles to help her meet it. In return, she is training to run a marathon. Not an everyday pastime, a challenge for sure, but if anyone knows Tamlyn they will know how great she is with goals and challenges!
2. Come to our event “What’s Really Important in Digital Marketing”
   You may have noticed that we have got an event where you can either buy a ticket – or donate to Tamlyn’s marathon. To us, it’s pretty obvious which is the better option. At this event we will be helping you prepare for your marketing and be ahead of the game.
3. Visit the BDCH Website and browse through to choose your cat or a dog – just like Tam did. Just have a look, and see if someone catches your eye. If you end up finding your new furry friend and housemate, be sure to and send us pictures!