by Joe Jeffrey
Doggy first-aid course first of its kind at Old Oaks holiday park
A Fido-friendly holiday park highlighted in the media for being one of the most dog-friendly holiday parks in the UK is offering to turn owners into pooch paramedics if a medical emergency arises with a series of one-day canine first aid courses designed to equip owners with the skills to deal with doggy emergencies.
Old Oaks Touring Park, in Glastonbury, Somerset, has enlisted the help of professional pet care specialists to teach course participants how to respond in a range of emergencies dogs may encounter from insect stings and fight bites to drowning, heat stroke and swallowing a ball.
The park, which caters for dogs just as much as their human counterparts with various amenities including special hot water doggy showers, as well as free-range walking options thanks to a large securely-fenced exercise field with views across to the Mendips, has also teamed up with a local dog walking business which will take the lead when owners wish to venture out alone.
Dogs even have their own parking lot at the park: a safe area where they can be tethered outside the shower buildings while master or mistress go about their business inside.
However, it’s not just dogs which get the red carpet treatment at ten-acre park, for the Old Oaks has also been praised by botanist David Bellamy for its protection of wildlife.
The park, which lies just behind Glastonbury’s world-famous tor, was this year presented once again with Professor Bellamy’s Conservation Award at its top gold level.
Its initiatives include a butterfly walk planted with high nectar-bearing flowers, and a half-acre fishing lake which is a magnet for wildfowl, kingfishers, and dragonflies.
Husband-and-wife management team, James and Tara White, run the Old Oaks Touring Park which has been in the same family’s ownership for over 30 years.
According to Tara, the park – a member of the Best of British group – has always extended a warm welcome to visitors’ dogs, and says there is already strong interest in the canine first aid courses:
“We have long been popular with responsible pet owners, so it’s perhaps not surprising that many are keen to know how to respond if an emergency does arise.
“Possessing the skills to save a dog’s life are obviously valuable – but so is having the confidence to use them, and that’s also what this course will aim to provide,” added Tara.
We’re sure some people might consider this brand new initiative a bit barking mad, but we’re definitely up for seeing more of these schemes roll out across the country considering how many caravanners have dogs. What do you think?
