RPD Snap

💜 YOU'VE HEARD OF BLACK FRIDAY, BUT HAVE YOU HEARD OF PURPLE WEEKEND? 💜 This weekend, we're giving you the chance to save 15% while supporting a cause that means so much to us. From Friday 6th November until Sunday 8th November, enjoy 15% OFF and help us continue providing lifelong care, love and support to the retired service animals who have given so much throughout their working lives. Behind every retired service animal is a lifetime of dedication, loyalty and service. They stood alongside us, protected us and gave their all. Now it's our turn to give something back. 💜 Every purchase helps support our mission to ensure these incredible animals receive the happy, healthy and comfortable retirement they deserve. So, why not treat yourself while making a difference? 💜 THE DETAILS: 📅 Friday 6th November – Sunday 8th November ⏰ Offer ends Sunday at 11:59pm 🏷️ 15% off your purchase Watch until the end of the reel to discover your exclusive discount code! Follow the link below to access our shop! 👇 nfrsa.org.uk/shop/ Shop with purpose. Give with heart. Remember those who gave their all. 💜

RPD Snap and her best mate Buddy have got into the Halloween spirit, and had a ghostly day of dressing up and posing with pumpkins. Snap, a veteran Malinois, is a much loved member of the NFRSA having served with @WMPolice and @WMPDogs. We love seeing her adventures - these made us smile, sent to us by her Mum @RPDSnap ‼️ Show us your dogs in their Halloween costumes below - best one wins a prize. (We’ll DM you) ‼️ Happy All Hallows Eve to all our followers - stay safe out there and enjoy your trick or treat outings! (Make sure you get some dog treats too 🐾🐾) Have fun!

🐾 As a dog owner, the most important piece of equipment in your car or home isn't the lead, the toys, or even the treats... it's a pet first aid kit. Accidents can happen when you least expect them. A cut paw on a country walk, an eye irritation after a woodland adventure, or a tick picked up during a day outdoors. That's why we've created the NFRSA Dog First Aid Kit. Compact, lightweight and easy to keep in your car, rucksack or kitchen cupboard, it contains essential items that can help you care for your dog immediately while you arrange veterinary treatment. ✅ Alcohol-free wipes ✅ Cohesive bandage ✅ Conforming bandage ✅ Foil blanket ✅ Nitrile gloves ✅ Resusciade face shield ✅ Scissors ✅ Sterile eye & wound wash ✅ Sterile gauze swabs ✅ Tick twister ✅ Tweezers Whether you're enjoying country walks, heading to the beach, travelling with your dog or simply want to be prepared at home, this small kit could make all the difference when every minute matters. 🐶 Peace of mind for you. Immediate care for your dog. Every purchase supports the work of the NFRSA, helping us continue to care for retired service animals who have spent their lives protecting our communities. 🛒 Order yours today👇 nfrsa.org.uk/product/nfrsa-d… 👇 Tell us: What's the most unexpected thing your dog has ever got themselves into?

A thread 1/2 𝘼 𝙉𝒐𝙩𝒆 𝑭𝙧𝒐𝙢 𝙊𝒖𝙧 𝘾𝒉𝙖𝒊𝙧𝒎𝙖𝒏 It took four days in the South of France for me to realise, for someone who spends so much time talking, there is still rather a lot I haven’t told you. I’ve just had my first short break since May last year: a little time to stop and draw breath, rather than deal with whichever thing is shouting loudest. It wasn’t long enough, but as my aunt always used to say ‘Half a loaf is better than none’, but it gave me the rare opportunity to really THINK. Usually, I’m travelling at about 150mph, fulfilling several full-time roles: overseeing and running the NFRSA, supporting my husband, as well as juggling all the other responsibilities our life in Gloucestershire brings. I love it all deeply, but none of the above ever fits neatly into a working day and I have become surprisingly good at spinning plates, (and yes, on occasion a couple go crashing to the floor - no one is perfect, least of all me!) There are events, functions, conferences, meetings, and demands, or deadlines, to meet. And there are definitely not as many ‘black tie dinners’, ‘afternoon tea parties’, ‘VIP invitations’ or ‘schmoozing’ as many might imagine - I simply don’t have the time. There are also late nights at the desk attempting to catch up with paperwork, and hours spent lying awake, worrying about a dog and its owner. Those moments rarely make it into the photographs. For the entire team here, the NFRSA is a labour of utter love and devotion - and my personal phone is open 24/7 to any handler in the country who needs me, because as anyone who owns an animal knows, our loyal companions have no regard for office hours, and I’ve yet to meet a veterinary emergency that politely waited until Monday. On many occasions at midnight my phone has lit up… ‘Lady B - you awake?’ ‘Of course I am - what’s up?’ And on it goes - and I love it. I don’t really call it a ‘job’ - I’m a volunteer anyway, but you know what I mean… It’s a passion, and a deep belief in what we do - one I’ve held for the ten years since I first had the idea for this charity. So, while I was away, I realised I wanted to share more of it with you. The behind the scenes stuff. What makes us tick. And I especially want to share the people who make it possible. You all see the appeals, grant announcements, fundraising events, and the lovely furry faces, but so much happens in between - a conversation with a handler that stays with me for days; someone quietly raising money without expecting recognition; the relief when an owner learns we can help; and, thankfully, plenty of laughter. There are tears too, and sometimes a little frustration, but it is all totally worth the rollercoaster of emotions we all feel, every single day. And our retired animals provide much of it. Some have embraced life on the sofa with an enthusiasm their former supervisors might find troubling; some require urgent support; some need advice, which if we don’t have to hand, we’ll go and find it; and others the reassurance we are there. So, each week, I’d like to write a little something here, for all of you, our wider NFRSA family. Not daily - you have lives to lead, and I would soon run out of wisdom and I definitely do not want to bore you to tears with repetitive guff - but a Friday or Saturday seems a sensible arrangement. I’ll tell you about what’s been happening: who we’ve met, which animals we’ve helped, who made things happen and what it all made me think about. I hope you’ll find something to smile at, something you didn’t know and, occasionally, something useful to carry into your own weekend.