Pleasing 4 Pets

Animal welfare charities are warning that dogs can be put at risk of overheating by owners who force them to wear clothes.

The RSPCA has claimed that the practice has the potential to be as dangerous as locking a pet in a hot car during summertime, and could lead to legal action against irresponsible owners.

Some experts and indeed owners also believe that the trend for dressing dogs up in human style clothing is humiliating for the animal and can encourage unpleasant behaviour.

Over the past few years, the manufacture and sale of dog clothing has become a significant and lucrative business. Dog clothing on the market includes doggie hoodie, all in one trouser suits and fancy dress items such as pirate costumes and Elvis Presley styled all in one jump suits.

Many leading designers including Ben De Lisi and Vivienne Westwood have released ranges of dog accessories and items of clothing, and even high street chain BHS offers a range of t-shirts for dogs bearing slogans such as “I’m not fat just fluffy” .

The animal experts are claiming that with the exception of a few tiny sized canines with extremely short hair, or those which have a naturally low ratio of body fat such as the greyhound, doggie clothing is unwarranted and will only serve to get in the way of a dogs natural capacity to control its own body temperature.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said in a statement:-

“Under the Animal Welfare Act, you are obliged to provide appropriate conditions and environments for your dog. So if you are slapping a great big coat on it when it really doesn’t need it, then that could cause it to suffer if it is overheating. It is the same as if you leave a dog in a car in hot weather.

Some breeds have been bred to have less fur, so in some cases it is quite appropriate for a dog to wear a coat in very cold weather. But if an owner is just doing it for a fashion statement I certainly would question that”.

The RSPCA embarked on a considerable rescue operation at kennels in Brigstock recently after being contacted by a concerned dog owner whose pet was staying at the facility which had been abandoned.

As a result of the operation RSPCA officers were able to rescue in excess of 100 dogs, 98 of which were the St Bernard breed, from the Wardana Kennels and Cattery in Nottinghamshire.

One of the dogs found at the kennels was so sick that it had to be out down, and another unfortunately died as RSPCA vets fought to save its life.

Many of the animals at the kennels were housed in locked cages and it is thought that they hadn’t received food or water for a considerable time.

The kennels were being managed by Mary-Ellen Collis, a past Crufts winner, but the RSPCA have not been able to contact her and her whereabouts remain unknown.

The alarm was sounded by a Kettering man who had been attempting to contact the facility to arrange to visit his pet dog, Benson. David Nolan went to the kennels after he was unable to contact the owner by telephone. On his arrival Mr Nolan immediately contacted the local police authorities who in turn contacted the RSPCA.

He explained :-

“I was just concerned for my animal and eventually I had had enough.

It was horrific. I saw my dog, a Staffordshire bull terrier, and he looked like a Jack Russell because he was so thin.

I walked straight past him and only recognised him by the sounds he made.”

Attempts made by the RSPCA and the police to contact Ms Collis remain unsuccessful.

Woman forbidden by courts to keep pets

Sylvia Bailey aged 67 if Stevenage was found guilty by Stevenage Magistrates Court of failing to care adequately for her 22 cats whilst bringing about unnecessary suffering to 17 of them.

Bailey was prosecuted after the RSPCA found and rescued the cats from her home in Sefton Road, Stevenage. She was ordered by the court to pay out £500 towards the cost of the hearing.

In court she denied the accusations, claiming that she had kept the cats in a hygienic environment but admitted that she had been unable to meet the expense of veterinary treatment.

In December 2007, RSPCA officials visited the house in Sefton Road after locals contacted them to express concerns that the cats were being kept in unsanitary and inadequate conditions.

The RSPCA informed her that a number of her cats were suffering from dental and skin complaints which required immediate veterinary treatment.

Some eight weeks later when the officers returned, none of the cats were found to have received veterinary care and so all 22 cats were removed from Baileys’ care.

The RSPCA vet who examined the cats confirmed that 13 of them had severe dental disease, and a number of others had huge numbers of ear mites, untreated skin conditions and in growing claws.

The examining vet found that 13 cats were suffering from untreated dental disease, while others were identified as suffering from ear mite infestations, in-growing claws and skin problems.

An RSPCA official said:-

“These cats were kept in an entirely unsuitable environment and were denied veterinary treatment.

“All the cats are now healthy and thankfully will eventually go to new, caring homes.”

After 44 years of dedicated sponsorship, pet food company Pedigree has decided to terminate its support of the Crufts dog show.

TV and media ads for Pedigrees popular dog food often featured prize winning canines from the competition in addition to featuring the slogan “top breeders recommend it”

It is estimated that the move will cost the Crufts organisation a whopping £1.5million per year, and comes following allegations that the dogs involved in the show are enduring a range a genetic diseases as a result of inbreeding over the course of many years.

The Kennel Club who organise the annual event first came under attack in August when the BBC broadcast a documentary claiming that the dogs involved in the show are riddled with genetic health problems after prolonged inbreeding to advance certain physical qualities required by the club.

The documentary featured spaniels with brains too large for the sizes of their skulls and boxer dogs suffering from epilepsy.

British charities The Dogs Trust and the RSPCA immediately withdrew their support of the show after the claims came to light.

The club is said to be reassessing its rules and regulations regarding the criteria for entrants in addition to reworking breed standards, although they remain insistent that Crufts 2009 will go ahead in March as planned.

A spokesperson for Pedigree said in a statement:-

“After careful consideration, Pedigree has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Crufts.

The Pedigree brand has evolved and we are prioritising initiatives that support the broadest possible community of dog owners such as our successful programme to help homeless dogs - The Pedigree Adoption Drive - and our online service for breeders.

We look forward to working with The Kennel Club on other projects in the future.”

The Kennel Club has insisted next year’s show in March, at the NEC in Birmingham, will go ahead as planned.

The RSPCA is requesting that families take in pets in an effort to bring down domestic violence in Wales.

Violent abusers are believed to further terrorize their victims with threats of cruelty or violence against their pets.

A new scheme run by the RSPCA - the Pet Retreat scheme endeavours to remove pets from situations where abuse is prominent and attempts to re-house them, which in turn helps their owners to leave violent or abusive relationships earlier than they otherwise might.

As part of national ongoing domestic abuse research, the government has asked that caring families who are in the position to offer a foster home to a pet to come forward.

The Pet Retreat programme, which was previously known as PetSafe, began in the summer of 2002 as a scheme which worked in conjunction with domestic abuse shelters in Western England and was later launched throughout Wales during 2007.

The programme endeavours to end the cycle of violent behaviour and terrorization related to abuse by removing pets from the home.

Official research has confirmed that abusers often exploit the love between their victims and a pet to prevent their victims from ending the relationship, by intimidating animals and in many instances subjecting them to cruel acts of violence. This behaviour often sees a victim reluctant to leave the animal in the care of their abuser and often prolongs violent relationships. Many shelters and refuges for the victims of domestic abuse are unable to provide refuge for victims’ pets.

Social justice minister Brian Gibbons said recently:-

“Pets are often cherished by victims of domestic abuse, but this often makes the pet a target of abuse.

If the victim seeks help the abuser may threaten or hurt the pet. This is another barrier preventing them from escaping.

A vital part of this scheme is the volunteer foster families. People are needed to open their homes to these pets while families are in transition.

By helping these pets, volunteers enable victims of domestic abuse to get help.”

A national leading animal welfare charity has voiced its concern that a feline ‘copycat’ killer could be on the loose in the West Country.

Over the past 5 months the RSPCA have reported that 19 cats have met an untimely end after ingesting anti-freeze in the Bridgewater area of Somerset.

And over the past few weeks, another 9 cats have died in similar circumstances across Weston-super-Mare.

After suffering symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea, fits and ultimately kidney failure which are thought to been caused by swallowing ethylene glycol which is universally present in anti-freeze, all of the cats had to be put to sleep.

The RSPCA investigation is focusing on two main lines of enquiry - one that the deaths could be the work of a ‘malicious psychopath ‘ and the other being an innocent but unknown source of ethylene glycol.

A spokesperson for the charity said:-

“Geography and distance would suggest the fact that cats’ are being poisoned in both places is just a coincidence.
However, as we don’t know if this is an accident of deliberate poisoning it is possible that the person responsible read about what was happening in Bridgwater and decided to be a copycat cat killer.
Until we can find and confirm source of the poison we cannot rule out the possibility that someone is putting out ethylene glycol laced bait to target cats.”

Under current UK law any persons found guilty of bringing about excessive suffering to any animal faces a fine of up to £20,000 as well as a six-month prison sentence.

A lot of us pay a great deal towards the upkeep of a family pet and would consider it worth every penny, but unfortunately some pet owners are not as caring when it comes to their animal companions.

The expense of owning a pet can mount up unexpectedly in a variety of ways. The most obvious costs include food, medical bills and routine care. After that, you can incorporate extras such as playthings and treats. On occasion you may be required to pay for your pet to travel with you or encounter a number of other pet-related bills.

Regrettably, when a situation becomes financially difficult, some pet owners assume that their pet should be the first expense that they cut. All of a sudden, a pet’s fundamental needs can appear too expensive. Its upsetting to think that in these conditions people will disown their pets but unfortunately this can happen all too often and is perhaps more common than you may think.

There are several ways to avoid ever being in the situation where you might consider deserting your pet. Where possible you should consider neutering your animal. The cost is usually very inexpensive, and your actions could help contain the future population of homeless animals.

If you are considering taking on a new pet, you should avoid pet shops and breeders and contemplate adopting one which may have been previously abandoned by visiting one of the many animal charities in the UK.

You can also make donations to the charities that house and protect abandoned animals such as the RSPCA. There are a vast number of additional local organisations or breed-specific charities that might also appreciate your aid. Of course financial contributions are always welcomed but remember that such organisations will also be grateful for care essentials such as blankets and will be grateful for any time that you can volunteer as an unpaid assistant.

Lastly, you can assist in making it completely unacceptable for animals in society to be regarded so improperly. Bring it to the attention of the local animal welfare authorities when you see an animal in a damaging situation or being treated poorly. Taking action shows a far greater consideration and respect to your animal companions than any toy or treat that you can buy.