The event took place in Stowmarket Recreation Ground, next door to Gladwells Pet & Country Store.The weather thankfully held out and we even saw some sunshine.

The show consisted of ten easy and fun classes to compete in with prizes for all winners. There was something for everyone from ‘Cutest Little Spooker’ to ‘Best Gruesome Twosome’!

Gladwells were joined on the day by their friends from all over including food and drink stalls, Paws of Parham, Suffolk Dog School, RSPCA and more!

This event was organised to raise money for the Winston Wheels Charity. Providing Wheelchairs and Strollers for dogs that need help to stay mobile. We are happy to say that £231 was raised for the charity on the day!

Here are a few pictures of the show with some brilliant efforts put in to costumes…

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Local photographer Lesley Stewart from LS Images sets up in store ready to take pictures of pets brought in by their owners. It’s free to enter and customers can then purchase their professional portraits if they wish.

Thank you to everyone that entered the competition and came along to the store on the day.

LS Images Photography -Lesley Stewart recaps her experience of the day…

“Shout out to all the senior dogs who attended the annual Gladwells dog portrait competition. The oldest on the day was 15 year old Poppy, a Jack Russell X dressed smartly in her bandana. Youngest was Hudson the black Labrador who came in with 12 year old Cocker Jasper.

There were more girls than boys this year and the most popular breed was the Jack Russell! This was followed by doubles of Mastiff, Bassett, Cockers and Greyhound, including Syd, who has now retrained as a therapy dog.

We heard some great names including Ellie, Daisy, Purdee, Poppy, Prince, Bean, Rolo, Wizz and Mouse!

Loudest on the day (apart from me due to so many of our oldies being deaf) were the Bassett pair Jasmine and Matilda. They were happy dogs who wanted everyone to know!

One of the largest was 10 year old Ash the Collie X Bernese Mountain Dog who has only recently been re-homed with his new owners. And Jake, approximately 11 years old, who now has a loving new owner, after some terrible treatment in a past home. We wish you the best Jake!

Huge thank you to those who came along on the day. Each dog received a wonderful doggy goody bag from Gladwells Pet & Country Store. Thanks again to the humans for bringing your pets into the store and sharing their stories.” 

Lesley was back in store on Saturday 16th October for owners to see their photographs. The judging is currently taking place and one lucky winner will receive a £50 GP&CS gift voucher to spend in store with us!

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Gladwells Pet & Country Stores were headline sponsors of the event alongside our friends at Skinner’s. As a longstanding Suffolk business, originally started in Copdock, we couldn’t wait to support an event all about the dogs of Suffolk!

On the day there were plenty of fun dog classes with great prizes, agility, dog scurry and lots of attractions and trade stands to keep everyone entertained. Including our Gladwells Pet & Country Store stand! We met loads of lovely dogs and their owners and had plenty of puppy cuddles. Visitors had the chance to win pet goodies on our prize wheel which collected donations in aid of the hospice.

We were also accompanied by The Grooming Salon. The dog grooming salon recently reopened inside our Stowmarket store and was offering services on the day as well as meeting lots of new clients.

Proceeds from Suffolk Dog Day will go towards St Elizabeth Hospice care in Ipswich, East Suffolk & Great Yarmouth and Waveney to continue providing outstanding palliative and end of life care in the local community. The event managed to raise over an amazing £70,000! A brilliant day had by all and an even better total raised for the hospice.

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The latest addition to the Gladwells family is here and has arrived at Waterside Garden Centre. “Based adjacent to the A15 in Baston near Peterborough and with ample free parking, we are a family-run enterprise established in 1990 and we pride ourselves on our quality plants, products and excellent customer service” – Waterside Garden Centre.

The team made up of colleagues from GP&CS and Copdock Mill have been building, painting, planning and stocking the shelves with our favourite products. With the grand opening happening on Saturday 4th May we can’t wait to welcome new customers and friends in to the store.

The new store will be open seven days a week and offering a great range of supplies for dog, cat, horse, wild bird, small animal, reptile, cage & aviary bird and much more. With exclusive offers available in May to celebrate the opening. You can follow the store’s updates on their Facebook page here.

Here’s a sneak peek of the beautiful new shop that has been set up by the hard working team.

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On Sunday 15th October Gladwells Pet & Country Store, Stowmarket, hosted their first ever Fun Dog Show. And what a brilliant day it was!

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International Dog Day 2023

Today is International Dog Day!

Saturday 26th August marks a day of celebration all over the world to appreciate our four-legged friends, raise awareness and encourage responsible dog ownership. National Dog Day was established in 2004 by animal advocate & pet and family lifestyle expert Coleen Paige. The aim of the awareness day is to raise awareness about the number of dogs that are currently in rescue centres and encourage the adoption of these animals.

Are you thinking of rehoming a dog? Dogs Trust has a guide on how to find the perfect match on their website here.

“Finding the right owner for each of our dogs is important. If we make a good match, both the dog and their owner will be happy together. It’s more likely that the adoption will be a success. We put the dog’s needs first when we decide whether to progress with an adoption application. We rehome to all kinds of people and families living in different types of home – it just depends on the needs of the dog.     

So, what do we look for? First, we need to feel confident that you’ll be a responsible owner and that now is the right time for you to adopt. Next, we’ll decide whether you’ll be able to meet the dog’s needs such as diet, exercise, home setup, training and whether they can live with children and animals.  Be sure to read your chosen dog’s profile carefully before applying to save any disappointment.

Sometimes we receive hundreds of application for a single dog – and we can only rehome to one family. So, if we decide not to progress your application try not to worry or take it personally, we may have a more suitable dog for you in the future.” – Dogs Trust

Gladwells Pet & Country Store sells a variety of feed and supplies to take care of your dog. Including dry and wet food for a range of dietary needs, walking accessories and treats galore. Shop online now or find your local store:

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International Cat Day 2023

Today is International Cat Day!

Tuesday 8th August marks a day of celebration all over the world to appreciate our feline friends, raise awareness and encourage responsible pet ownership. The day was created in 2002 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Since 2020 International Cat Care iCatCare, has been the custodian of International Cat Day.

“As custodians of this important day, we’re encouraging cat owners to take five minutes a day to play with their cats to improve their physical health and mental wellbeing.

Just like dogs need walking every day, cats need daily play to keep them active and happy. Wand toy play provides cats with a safe outlet to perform natural behaviours and has many benefits.” – iCatCare

Gladwells Pet & Country Store sells a variety of feed and supplies to take care of your cat. Including dry and wet food for a range of dietary needs, eco-friendly cat litter and catnip. Shop online now or find your local store:

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We are really looking forward to returning to this amazing event, this time as a headline sponsor alongside Skinners. As a longstanding Suffolk business, originally started in Copdock, we can’t wait to support an event all about the dogs of Suffolk!

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The awareness week is arranged by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society in the UK and takes place every year. It aims to highlight the problems hedgehogs face and how you can help them.

We have put together our top five tips to take care of our small and spiky garden friends!

1. Providing Shelters

You can create a safe space for hibernating hedgehogs with natural resources! A log or leaf pile can provide a cosy hideout. Or if you have the space, why not devote a corner of your garden to letting wildlife grow to create a natural den. You can also purchase ready built hedgehog hotels from most of our stores!

2. Hedgehog Highways

Hedgehogs travel at night between gardens. You can provide a safe Hedgehog Highway by creating a gap at the bottom of boundary fences. This allows Hedgehogs to roam freely between habitats without getting stuck in one place.

3. Safety Checks

Make sure to check for Hedgehogs when clearing your garden. This includes checking bonfire piles before lighting, long grass before mowing/strimming and leaf piles before raking.

4. Covering drains

Garden drains can pose a serious risk to Hedgehogs if left uncovered. You can close any open drains with a cover that won’t allow for Hedgehogs to fall through and get stuck whilst still allowing water through.

5. Feed & Water Stations

You can help supplement a Hedgehog’s diet by providing fresh food and water stations. Water is especially important during the hot summer months.

LOOKING FOR A RECOMMENDATION?

Brambles Pet and Wildlife hedgehog food is available in all of our stores now. 100% safe for hedgehogs to eat and containing the correct ratios of calcium to phosphorous as well as offering great nutritional benefits to the animal. Their wildlife foods have been developed based on a scientific approach to nutrition and are widely used by Wildlife Rescues all over the UK. All of their products are made in Great Britain.

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The Big Garden Birdwatch takes part every year with people across the country recording which species of wild bird visit their garden over the period of one hour.

“The fact that we’ve lost 38 million birds from UK skies in the last 50 years underlines that nature is in crisis. We see it in our own back gardens with house sparrows struggling and starlings undergoing a severe decline. As a conservation charity, your Birdwatch results help us monitor how our UK birds are faring in the face of the nature and climate emergency. But we can’t do it without your support. By taking part in Big Garden Birdwatch you, and hundreds of thousands of other like-minded nature lovers, will be taking action to protect our birds for generations to come” – RSPB.

Some common birds you might spot in your garden include…

You can stream the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch Live here over the weekend:

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