Forget the telethon - meet the help-a-dog-a-thon*

Raising money for charity through telethons started back in the 1940s in the USA. Fast forward several decades and telethons are an ingrained part of the nation's psyche (think Children in Need, Comic Relief etc).

With the advent and growth of the Internet and social media channels, it's not surprising that we now have 'app-a-thons' - different ways of raising money for charities.  These app-a-thons are typically a facebook app or a web page that encourage us to get involved with a certain charity, by interacting with the app.

Often these types of apps are developed and sponsored by large organisations, in support of a charity, under their corporate social responsibility policies.  Sometimes they can be dry, sometimes they can be fun but (generally speaking) they are always in aid of a deserving cause.

This year, Samsung has launched the 'dog-a-thon' app on the Crufts facebook page.  The app is in celebration of Samsung's 20th year of sponsoring Crufts and is in aid of the Blue Cross.  Samsung have a target of 20,000 virtual dogs adoptions, which will equate to a donation of 2,000 individual dog health checks to the Blue Cross.

You get to choose from three types of dogs to adopt: a Labrador, a Cross Breed and a Greyhound (no prizes for guessing which breed I chose)! Then you've the chance to name your dog (I chose, Scout), choose from different activities and finally, share the app with your friends so they can participate.

It's a fun app, with some nice illustrations and a nice level of interactivity. So, if you're on facebook why not give it a go and help some of the dogs in the care of the Blue Cross? Just click on the photo to go to the app.

Don't forget our Crufts ticket giveaway...

To be in with the chance of winning 2 tickets to Crufts (for the day of your choice). Simply leave a comment on any of my blog posts in February (including this one). For terms & conditions, see below.

Terms & Conditions

• Giveaway is open to UK residents only.
• Prize consists of one pair of tickets to Crufts for each of the two winners (tickets are valid for the day of the winner’s choice).
• The winner is responsible for arranging their own transport to and from the NEC.
• Closing dates for entries is 4pm (GMT), Thursday 28 February 2012
• Winners will be notified by email

*Sponsored post.  My tickets, camera and Crufts experience have been provided by Crufts and Samsung. 

Tula - The Cat That Twitter Named

Since I lost Tazzie in November, the house has felt empty without a cat. It even appeared that the hounds missed Tazzie and couldn't understand where the black and white ball of fluff had gone.

So, in late November we went along to The Lincolnshire Trust for Cats to find a cat that would be confident living in a house full of sight hounds. There were so many lovely kittens and cats to choose from, all deserving good homes, but in the end we decided to take a peek in the 'Weight Watchers' section. (There was a sign on the door that said Weight Watchers - honest!) This was where some of the cats who had been at the Trust for a while, and who had eaten a little too much, were being kept. They were being fed a lighter diet and had more space and activity areas to burn off those extra pounds!

The "feline fatty's" first day

Who'd have thought that a 'feline fatty' (shhhh, don't tell her I said that) would steal our hearts. The not so little bundle of fluff was called Tess and is about 18 months old. She was introduced to Jasper while we were at the cattery and both cat and hound reacted well and Tess' fate was sealed.

As her name was too similar to Tazz, we decided to rename her, but as we couldn't agree on a suitable name ourselves, we turned to Twitter and Facebook. We had over 25 suggestions and in the end chose Tula, which was suggested by the lovely Kim, who tweets as @m3kx

It's been a month since Tula joined us and she's really settled in, enjoying her first Christmas with us. Today has been the first day that she's used the cat flap too and seemed liked a good day to introduce her on the blog. She's slowly losing the extra pounds and is now firm friends with the hounds.

Here's looking at you!

Finding a name for Tula did make me wonder, how we arrive at the names for our pets...

Both Mina and Stevie have kept their original names, as their recall was so good. Jasper, on the other hand, was originally called Magic. I renamed him after the Jasper in Twilight, as my Jasper has very fang-like teeth but more importantly has a real calming effect on those around him. Chivers was named after the marmalade brand and Tazzie after the Tasmanian Devil!

I'd love to know how you came up with the name for your pet, so please share, if you dare!