Over 2.9 million pet owners (10 per cent) are unwittingly running the risk of poisoning their pooches and moggies by regularly feeding them chocolate*, reveals research by Churchill Pet Insurance.

With households set to be filled with chocolate eggs this weekend, it can be all too tempting to offer a piece of chocolate to the family pet as a treat, but many pet owners do not appear to be aware that chocolate can be toxic to cats and dogs. Chocolate contains theobromine, and is one of the most common causes of poisonings to occur in dogs in the UK**.

Claire Foster, spokesperson for Churchill Pet Insurance, said: “We want to raise awareness of the dangers of feeding chocolate to the family pet this Easter, as there is a danger that some doting owners could end up harming their pets without realising it. We’d advise pet owners to keep their chocolate well out of the reach of hungry four-legged friends, and to be extremely cautious as even a small amount of chocolate could poison their pet.”

Nearly a fifth (18 per cent) of pet owners also tend to feed their pets with home-made human dinners, such as leftovers from the family meal, rather than pet food. However, many everyday ingredients can also prove to be poisonous to pets, as shown below:

Claire Foster goes on to say: “Consult your veterinarian without delay if your pet appears distressed, listless or in pain after eating. However, treating pets that have eaten dangerous or poisonous food can be very costly, so make sure you have pet insurance in place to cover any unforeseen vet bills and to give you peace of mind in the event of your pet falling ill.”

Churchill’s Pet Insurance policies include the following:

• Cover per condition for vet fees up to a maximum of £3,000 under the Pet Insurance policy, and up to £1,500 towards injury under the Pet Emergency policy, for a total of 12 months.
• Pet bereavement counselling and legal help lines.

Optional additional cover includes:

• Up to £1,000 for advertising if your pet is stolen or strays.
• Cover towards the purchase price from death or loss of your pet.
• Up to £750 boarding fees if you have to stay in hospital.
• Holliday cancellation cover of up to £3,000 if you have to cancel or cut short a trip because your pet goes missing or needs unexpected life saving treatment.
• Up to £1m third party liability cover (applies to dogs only).

Notes to editors:

* Research conducted online on behalf of Churchill by Opinium Research between 8th and 11th September 2009 amongst 2,006 respondents, representative of the UK adult population. There are 61m adults the UK (source: ONS). 47% of respondents are cat and dog owners which equates to 28.6m UK adults. 10% of pet owners feed their cats and dogs chocolate treats which equates to 2.867m UK adults.
** Source – www.vetrica.com

Churchill

Founded in 1989, Churchill is now one of the UK's leading providers of general insurance, offering award-winning car, home, travel and pet insurance cover over the phone or on-line.

Churchill is part of RBS Insurance, the second largest general insurer in the UK and is wholly owned by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group.

Customers can find out more about Churchill products or get a quote by calling 0800 200300 or visiting www.churchill.com

Churchill Insurance Company Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Registered office: Churchill Court, Westmoreland Road, Bromley, Kent, BR1 1DP. Registered in England and Wales no.2258947. The Financial Services Authority's Register can be accessed through http://www.fsa.gov.uk/.

View original article here: ”2.9 Million Pet Owners Risk Poisoning Their Four-Legged Friends with Chocolate Treats”

Brits have historically always loved to support the underdog in the world of sport, and Eddie the Eagle, Britain’s endearing 1988 Winter Olympics ski jump hopeful, has been voted the nation’s favourite sporting underdog of all time*.

The research by Churchill Pet Insurance reveals the nation has a soft spot for the unlikely skier, with Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards topping the poll of the nation’s best loved underdogs with 29% of the vote.

The more successful sporting hero Henry Cooper scooped second place in the poll (13%) for his plucky 1966 fight against world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammed Ali.

Tennis star ‘Tiger’ Tim Henman was voted the nation’s third favourite sporting underdog (11%) for his prowess – and bad luck - on the tennis court. Despite never progressing beyond the semi-finals in a Grand Slam contest, Henman became one of Britain’s most successful men’s singles tennis players, with fans even dubbing Wimbledon’s viewing ground ‘Henman Hill’ in his honour.

The UK’s top five favourite sporting underdogs are:

1. Eddie the Eagle (ski jumper)
2. Henry Cooper (boxer) taking on Muhammed Ali
3. Tim Henman (tennis player)
4. Seabiscuit (racehorse)
5. The 2005 England Ashes cricket team

However, while Britain’s underdogs are some of our best-loved characters from the world of sport, some of them are also responsible for some of the nation’s favourite and most memorable sporting blunders of all time.

The UK’s top five favourite sporting blunders are:

1. Eddie the Eagle’s bid for a ski jump medal at the 1988 Winter Olympics (18%)
2. The 1993 Grand National false start shambles (18%)
3. Paula Radcliff’s loo stop at the 2005 London Marathon (17%)
4. Cambridge University’s boat sinking during the 1984 Cambridge-Oxford boat race (15%)
5. Athlete Zola Budd tripping over Mary Decker at the 1984 Summer Olympics (8%)

Matt Owen, spokesperson for Churchill Insurance, comments: “There is something quintessentially British about supporting the underdog, whether it’s at the Olympics, Wimbledon or in the boxing ring. While the underdog might not always win, they often leave us with fond memories of their sporting endeavours.”

Churchill Insurance commissioned the research to mark the launch of its latest TV adverts, starring Eddie the Eagle and the famous nodding dog. Check out the latest Churchill TV ads on Churchill’s new YouTube channel.

Notes to Editors:

*Research conducted online on behalf of Churchill by Opinium Research between 15th and 19th December 2009 amongst 1,924 respondents, representative of the UK adult population.

Churchill

Founded in 1989, Churchill is now one of the UK's leading providers of general insurance, offering award-winning car, home, travel and pet insurance cover over the phone or on-line.

Churchill is part of RBS Insurance, the second largest general insurer in the UK and is wholly owned by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group. Customers can find out more about Churchill products or get a quote by calling 0800 200300 or visiting www.churchill.com.

Churchill Insurance Company Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Registered office: Churchill Court, Westmoreland Road, Bromley, Kent, BR1 1DP. Registered in England and Wales no.2258947. The Financial Services Authority's Register can be accessed through www.fsa.gov.uk.

View original story here: “Eddie the Eagle voted Brits' best loved sporting underdog”

Busy weekend on roads despite unsettled weather forecast. Full sporting schedule as football season nears end. AA patrols working as normal as strike action called off.

Travellers frustrated by inclement weather at Easter, recent air travel problems deterring overseas breaks and a busy weekend of sport are likely to encourage more people to hit the road this Bank Holiday weekend than last year, according to AA Roadwatch.

Localised congestion is likely on most major routes, particularly in the southern half of the country where the weather is predicted to be warmer, while more unsettled weather in the north may make it more of a DIY weekend than a barbecue one.

Edmund King, AA president, says: “This Bank Holiday is often referred to as a ‘grass-cutting weekend’ as people tend to stay at home. They tend to travel further afield over the later Bank Holidays when the weather is a bit warmer. However, we expect many people will take a chance with the weather and travel, so there will inevitably be some traffic building up on popular routes.”

As the football season draws to a close, there is a full fixture list with Arsenal fans having to travel the furthest in the Premier League to get to their match at Blackburn (222 miles according to the AA Route Planner); closely followed by Bolton fans going to Tottenham (217 miles); and Chelsea making the trip for the crunch match at Liverpool (216 miles).

Sunday sees the final league matches in the Championship with champions Newcastle facing a long journey to QPR matched by Peterborough travelling to Plymouth (both 283 miles).

Breakdown workload

Last year, the AA attended around 22,000 breakdowns over the Early May Bank holiday, which is barely busier than a normal weekend and considerably quieter than the later Spring Bank Holiday.

Threatened strike action over proposed changes to its pension scheme was called off, as the AA and the union agreed revised proposals, which the union is now recommending. AA members will receive a full service as usual this weekend.

Edmund continues: “Although the roads won’t be as bad as the next Bank Holiday, there will still be a lot of people racking up big mileages this weekend, so we are putting extra patrols on duty. Before heading off, spend a few minutes doing the recommended checks on your car and plan some stops to break up the journey.”

To help motorists beat the hotspots the number for the AA’s traffic and travel advice line, AA Roadwatch, is 84322 or enter ‘the AA’ on your mobile phone keypad or call 0906 88 84322 from a landline*.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

The AA would like to remind its members that the threatened industrial action over proposed changes to its pension scheme was called off.  There will be a full service for AA members as usual this weekend.

Interviews with AA patrols on preparation advice are available by calling the above number.

AA advice on how to prepare for Bank Holiday journey:

• Plan your route in advance and allow plenty of time for the journey;
• Check local traffic and weather reports – call AA Roadwatch on 84322;
• Travel when the roads are quieter;
• If tired, stop and drink one or two cups of coffee or other caffeinated drink and take a short nap of no more than 15-20 minutes;
• As one of their member benefits, personal AA members get 20% off food and drink at Moto service areas when they show their membership card;
• Check oil, coolant and windscreen wash levels, cooling fan operation, lights and tyre pressure (check when tyres are cold and increase pressure for heavy loads if necessary) and tread depth – not forgetting the spare and any caravan/trailer – before hitting the road;
• Pack the car safely being careful not to overload or obstruct vision;
• Keep plenty of refreshments on board and plan car games to keep children comfortable and happy throughout the journey.

The AA has created a handy leaflet that uses the acronym ‘FLOWER’ to remind drivers what to check: http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/breakdown_advice/flower-power.pdf

* Calls to AA Roadwatch cost up to 65p per minute. Calls should not last longer than 90 seconds. http://www.theaa.com/traffic-news/index.jsp

Find out more on breakdown cover from The AA. Original article: "Early May Bank Holiday – Travel Advice from The AA.