On Saturday Esme and I took the OneKind message to a local Staffie Rescue fun day and dog show at the Archerfield Estate in East Lothian. We met people and their pets of all different shapes and sizes, from a 4 month old puppy to Lucy, a gentle and serene 16-year-old greyhound.

One thing we all had in common was knowing that our canine friends are capable of thoughts and feelings (and wrapping us around their wee paws).

Just over 3 weeks ago, I made the 5 hour train journey from Edinburgh to London- my purpose? To meet my newest friend Esme. She’s a (roughly!) seven year old Staffy girl, who has obviously been used for breeding – for she has mammary glands to rival a glamour girl- and was found as a stray in Croydon in January this year. So to cut a long story short..

I make no secret of how much I love dogs, in particular my beloved Staffies. We have two pampered lumps back home in Derry; the only dangerous thing they’re capable of is omitting pungent gasses after dinner. When I moved to Edinburgh last summer I found a gaping big dog-shaped hole in my life, and after starting work here at Advocates for Animals, I began to look into fostering.

Remember when you were a kid and you went on holiday, and you were really looking forward to it, then you'd get all excited and pack far too early, then you get there and then, then all you want to do is make some friends then play around with a ball till you get shouted in by your mum for your tea? "Johnnnnn, yer dinner's ready!!"

Making friends on holiday was easy as a young lad, you would just find a small clearing, then holding a football, a tennis racket, or even better, a swingball kit, you stand and wait. Guaranteed as sure as night follows day within 10 minutes you'll have a new friend from some part of the UK you've never heard of before like Basingfordshire.

On Saturday Libby, Jo and I, along with Harriet Hare and the gorgeous Mr Foxy, made a trip up to Perth for the Scottish Liberal Democrat party conference. Our purpose? To show party members our vision of a Snare-Free Scotland, a vision shared by a huge majority of the Scottish public. These events and publicity stunts aim to get our message across to politicians, so that when a vote on snaring takes place later on this year our vision can become reality.

All in all we had a really successful day. For one, it didn't rain, so Harriet and Foxy didn't need to run for cover. No one could deny how well they looked standing outside Perth Concert Hall. Little children especially seemed to enjoy our furry friends – it was not what they were expecting on a quiet Saturday morning! We spoke to so many people passing by, and everyone agreed that a Snare-Free Scotland is the way to go. I spoke with one lady with a lovely Labrador puppy, and she was shocked and appalled to learn that pets can also be snared, such is the indiscriminate nature of the devices. I even had a chat with a group of gamekeepers who were totally against snaring. It was very interesting to hear everyone's opinions. If you stopped by on Saturday, it was a pleasure to meet you and thank you!

Just as we were beginning to rejoice at the (slightly!) brighter mornings and evenings it decides to snow! I don’t know about you but I am certainly ready for a pick-me-up. With all the hustle and bustle of Christmas, adjusting to life back at work and avoiding a dreaded cold, I can feel it all catching up with me.

In the evenings, after removing a layer or five of outer-wear, I put the kettle on and carry my duvet into the living room to indulge in some TV. I bet you’d agree that there are few things better than sitting cosily on the sofa, safely tucked away from the elements. I find this weather can be quite harsh on my skin, so a real treat is Saaf Organic Hydrating Face and Lip Balm. It has a lovely fresh, clean scent and gives me a much-needed moisture boost, after hovering near various heaters and radiators during the winter. Saaf also have a gorgeous Organic Foot Softening Balm, which is very soothing. I find it best when put on last thing at night and then left to sink in for the morning. Saaf is one of the companies which very kindly donated a prize for the OneKind draw at Girls’ Day out last October, and it's featured in our OneKind living section- http://www.onekind.org.uk/onekind-living There are special discounts for OneKind supporters on fantastic animal-friendly products, such as Naturisimo and BareFaced Beauty, so do check it out!

So, a new year - a new decade no less!

First of all, Happy New Year to everyone, and I hope you all had a good one. I went down South to spend the holidays with my family, where we had our first ever white Christmas, and what a treat that was. Whenever I return home I’m always reminded of what an animal-centric world my parents live in.

All set for Christmas? For those of you who have Christmas planned with precision, well done! For the more haphazard among us, myself included, wish us luck braving the shops!

This week the office is looking forward to our Christmas get-together on Friday. It will be fantastic to have everyone under one roof as we’ve all been so busy over the past 12 months. For some of us this will be the first Advocates for Animals Christmas shindig- it’s mine, so it’s all very exciting! Like any other Christmas do, we’ll be reflecting on and celebrating our efforts in 2009. No doubt some of us will also be nursing sore heads afterwards!

Question. When is a pig not a chop? Answer. When it’s a Micropig.

I should really be celebrating the fortune of birth that this latest entry to the animal pop charts has benefited from. Instead though, being a cup half empty kind of guy,  I’m musing on the unfair treatment of their larger cousin, the pig (pictured left), or you may know them by the latin name I’ve just made up, Porcus Grandus.

‘Every Little Thing She Does is Magic’ by The Police always brings a smile to my face. I remember how our Staffordshire Bull Terrier Patch used to howl at the line “...and it’s always me that ends up getting wet.” Isn’t it funny that a dog can be so opinionated about music? I owe many things to Patch – from learning to walk by holding on to her back, to my infinite respect for all animals. She’s gone now, but she remains my inspiration. Every little thing she did for me was magic.

Each of us is inspired by different things in our life. Inspiration can come in any shape or form; be it a person, story or place. Recently I heard the story of Harriet Tubman, eloquently told by the wonderful Sally Baffour, founder of the adoption charity Thank U. Harriet was born into slavery in Maryland in the 19th century. Like so many, she was abused at the hands of slave-owners; yet, in her twenties she managed to escape to Philadelphia. Harriet couldn’t abandon her family; she returned and under the cover of darkness freed her relatives one group at a time. Using a network of antislavery activists and safe houses, known as the Underground Railroad, she eventually guided countless slaves to freedom.