Following on from last year’s success we have just launched our Teachers Pet Competition 2007. We have contacted as many primary schools in the UK as possible to get them involved in this very special month. NPM has a strong educational element and it is a great opportunity for young children to learn all about caring for pets in a fun and creative way. So in a nutshell we are asking school classes to send in a ‘love is…’ scrap book full of pictures, poems and stories highlighting our top tips for responsible pet ownership. The deadline is Friday 22 June and you can read more about this in the Schools section of the website. Last year we had a fantastic time judging all the entries, we can’t wait to receive the entries for 2007!

What glorious weather as we have the last day in the office before National Pet Month starts! (In London anyway - please don’t blame me if the sun isn’t shining where you are). I do hope the sun continues to shine all Easter weekend for our first event holders this year and that their events are a real success.

If you’re not holding an event yourself over Easter, have a look at ‘What’s On‘ to see what’s going on in your area. Or perhaps you’re taking a short break away with your pet and looking for something to do where you are visiting. I can’t resist the opportunity to show my colleague Stephen’s two dogs enjoying the sunshine on a narrowboat last summer.

I haven’t tried that with with my very lively ex-rescue white boxer Dylan yet, but Dylan will be coming away with the family for a short break in north Wales - watch out for us in Erddig park.

If you fancy a break yourself, check out the new National Pet Month Hoseasons Happy Pet competition on the competition section of our website - and why not take advantage of the sunshine to get your camera out and send your pictures in to Hoseasons - you could win a holiday for you and your pet.

At Crufts earlier this month we set a target of £250,000 to be raised during National Pet Month for animal charities throughout the UK during National Pet Month. I think that’s one of the great things about what we’re about - so many charities can benefit, from household names to the smallest local charity.

We launched at a press conference and then National Pet Month patron Philippa Forester and celebrity vet Trude Mostue joined us at the NPM to kick off our campaign by throwing darts (velcro ones!) at our specially made target.

We’d really love to know who you’re raising money for - and how how much you get - so we can see if we can pass our target.

Hi - it feels quite exciting to be putting the very first post on the National Pet Month blog - on our new style website - and it comes at a time when we’re really working flat out to get the packs out to everyone who has asked for one, and to make sure all the press know what National Pet Month is all about.

We now have over 90 events registered on the website - it will be great when we hit that 100 mark! Those new today have included a sponsored walk being run by the Selworthy Vet Group in Devon; free neutering being offered by Manchester and Cheshire Dogs’ Home from now, right throughout National Pet Month and beyond, and two events at Companion Care surgeries - an open day in Margate, Kent, and competitions in Huddersfield.

We know from the huge numbers of packs that have gone out from this office (our long-suffering postman will bear witness!) that there are many more events being organised out there - please let us know so we can help publicise. I’m expecting the steady trickle to become a flood! Alison