Welfare
Breeding, buying dogs, rescue dogs...
Model Dogs But What About the Owners?
The Guardian today has a section of pictures, all beautifully shot, showing dogs dressed up supposedly to attract new owners.
Dogs are wreathed in flowers, draped in silks and velvets and all dolled up for a hoe down. Somewhere underneath all of this, some of the dogs beam happily out, some look anxious and uncomfortable. Many dogs feel uncomfortable at the direct “gaze” of a camera lens because they interpet it as a threat. Others cheerfully mug for the camera – I had a dog that nearly knocked someone overboard when we were travelling on a ferry because he was sure that the man wanted to take his photograph and was “helpfully” positioning himself in front of the camera. This was a dog that had been abused for 11 years before coming to me and really did not like strange people, unless that is, they were taking photographs!
The harm done to a dog that is uncomfortable at having it’s photograph taken is minimal. What I question, is whether dogs should be placed on sale in this way. Make no mistake about it, rescue or no, these dogs are for sale. They are as much commodities as a pair of second hand shoes being sold in a charity shop. The raison d’être of any rescue is to process as many animals as possible so that they can make room for more.
We all know that owners think it acceptable to buy a dog then treat it like a doll; how much more likely are they to do that if the dog is packaged up that way in the first place. “Aww, look at it’s cute ‘ickle face, all framed in pwetty flowers”.
Why not go out on a limb – show the dog racing after a ball, retrieving a Kong, rolling over for a tickle – BEING A DOG ON ITS OWN TERMS. Sorry to shout, but really. It’s time that we allowed dogs dignity and made owners realise that they are taking on another species with its own particular needs and that we owe dogs a duy of care in their own right.
Idiot of the Month
This is probably one of the saddest “Idiot of the Month” posts that I have had occasion to write. Dogs loose on roads, forced to run alongside bicycles or following jogging owners, dogs largely ignored by owners who nevertheless profess to “love” them etc etc. are par for the course.
This instance that I witnessed in the park is, however, a classic, all too common case, of a totally unsuitable owner at the top of the slippery slope to ruining a beautiful, already damaged dog and possibly getting hurt in the process.
I have known the owner to speak to for some time. When I first met her, she owned a small, nervous collie cross. The dog was elderly and not in the best of health but the owner was hysterically over-protective. She all but brought the dog’s bed out into the park I case she needed a rest, wouldn’t allow any other dog to so much look at her dog’s water bowl and did her best to keep other dogs away altogether, even though one of the remaining things that enabled her increasingly sickly dog to have some quality of life was her obvious enjoyment of interacting with other dogs.
Eventually, her dog died and, shortly afterwards, the owner re-appeared in the park with a stunning medium-sized adolescent collie cross bitch. The dog had been a street dog and was imported from Romania by a couple who soon decided that they were more interested in having children instead.
The dog is friendly with people and other dogs but has no training. In spite of this, she was allowed off the lead with the owner screaming hysterically and haring after her in an attempt to get her back as she bounded over to explore her new environment. My suggestion that basic training on a long line would be safer and that chasing an excited dog whilst screeching loudly is not the best method of recall was greeted with a stern admonition that the owner knows exactly what she is doing, thank you.
Finally the dog was restrained by a couple as she greeted their dog, at which point, the owner snatched her away, forced her rear-end down roughly and, face thrust in the dog’s face, started shouting at her. She also did not have the courtesy to thank the couple who’d caught her.
I opened my mouth to protest at the rough handling and then my blood ran cold. It was only a split second but, as clear as day, the dog turned hard-eyed, gave the merest suggestion of teeth being bared and made it abundantly clear that next time something similar happened, she would bite. Her muzzle was about a quarter of an inch away from the owner’s face and she was effectively in a head lock.
I tried to explain what had happened, but the owner would have none of it. “I’m not having her behave like that” was all that she said.
So, this poor dog has no training, is passed around like an unwanted parcel and re-homed with someone who expects her to “behave” automatically and then punishes her for not knowing how to. This owner may well end up with a very stressed and dangerous dog indeed.
Tragically, whatever happens to the human, this is not a story that tends to end well for the dog.
Italian Earthquake Recovery
As the death toll rises and people begin to count the human and financial consequences of the devastating earthquake in Amatrice, Italy this week, sniffer dogs like the one pictured here go about their work with their handlers. Teams from all over Italy have gathered, as in all similar disasters to sift through the rubble and ruins systematically for signs of life.
Far fewer dogs are bred for working with livestock, pulling sleds, assisting fishermen or any of the other myriad of tasks that man has set them over the centuries. Their new jobs however mean that their unique ability to live closely with man, combined with mightly scenting ablities is being channelled to save lives, sometimes at the risk of their own.
Four Days Two Deaths
Just four days apart and two more fatalities caused by dogs – or rather caused by owners – hit the headlines.
The details of the particular circumstances hardly matter as they will have the same root causes:
- It is too easy to breed, buy and sell dogs
- There is no compulsion to attend any form of educational or training course before owning a dog
- Reams of legislation are continually being passed but none is routinely enforced
- There are far too few resources to instil and police responsible ownership.
The end result – people get injured and die. Dogs get injured and die.
Labour MP Barry Sheerman in whose constituency of Huddersfield a fatal dog attack occurred on Monday has called for the dog licence to be revived. Why on earth does he think that a piece of paper will begin to address the serious problems we have with dog ownership and society? A dog licence would record little more than the, now compulsory, microchip database. It needs no surveys to be certain that neither 100% of dog owners comply with this law nor that it is not being monitored or policed effectively.
If insufficient resources exist for the police to even be educated about the problems of dog ownership, let alone do anything about it; if insufficient resources exist for owners to be compelled to learn about their dogs before and during ownership, why will they be provided to administer a dog licence? Local authorities are far more concerned about bringing in additional revenue by fining owners for leaving a trace of faces behind when picking up than they are addressing serious concerns such as poor welfare, ignorance of owners and systematic abuse of dogs.
Tribute to Heath Robinson
The late cartoonist William Heath Robinson (d 1944) is probably not a name that trips off the tongue as often as it once did. Although initially taking his name in vain related to his drawings of ridiculously complex, implausible machines for achieving otherwise simple tasks, it eventually referenced temporary fixes made using ingenuity and whatever was to hand such as string and tape.
I found myself taking a leaf from the great man’s book when, in an attempt to travel light, I threw too much out of my metaphorical travel balloon basket and left the dog’s show lead at home. Hardware and bead shop to the rescue – I found a piece of thin sash (red fleck 8mm in case you’re wondering) and a few beads just wide enough to make it look a bit less make do and mend. I stitched a loop at each end and threaded the beads on but then found myself stuck for how to secure it round the dog’s neck, having failed to find a suitable finding in the bead shop. Friend’s toolbox rifled, I popped washer on!
I probably wouldn’t recommend taking a fizzy, medium sized dog very far on a bit of twine and a small washer, but it got us a handful of rosettes!
Run Into The Ground
It beggars belief that, as temperatures and humidity have soared over the last few days over much of England and Wales, people are still forcing dogs to go running.
Owners may think that the dog enjoys it and is getting wonderful exercise, although many of them wouldn’t even notice if their dog turned belly up as they are too far ahead and too busy being preoccupied with the muzak pumping into their ears and the digits ticking by on their exercise monitors. The attitude seems to be to combine two chores into one. They have no interaction with their dogs and – more importantly for other people – no control over them either.
Dogs that are forced to run often appear aggressive to other dogs as they have no choice but to rush past in order not to be left behind. They have no options to stop and sniff or even eliminate – the most important part of any walk. Of course, if they are desperate and do stop, the owner won’t pick up because they are blissfully ignorant and uncaring. Fearful dogs hang back caught between the Scylla of the dog that frightens them and the Charybdis of their owner’s oblivious back disappearing into the distance until they eventually make a panicked dash for it. Owners may pamper their own sore muscles afterwards but don’t even consider that their dog is suffering too.
Even sled dogs that are bred to run would not be worked in the spring, summer or early autumn when temperatures are simply too high for them to be able to cool down efficiently. They are also not running on hard, hot urban surfaces which jar joints and stress muscles, not to mention inhaling deeply of the toxic cocktail of pollutants.
If you get masochistic pleasure out of running in hot weather, don’t inflict it on your poor dog and don’t shave him to within an inch of his life so that he has no protection against the elements just because you can’t be bothered to look after his coat.
We’re Having A Heatwave
One swallow may not make a summer but more than one snowflake in Britain makes a blizzard and two days of sunshine make a heatwave.
One of the problems with living in a maritime climate is that the weather is inherently unpredictable and can change very quickly. Extremes are rare and so we do not plan for them. Even so, hot days are not that uncommon and it beggars belief that dogs are still dying in hot cars, including dogs owned by professionals such as the police and security guards.
Even on a warm day, the temperature inside a car can be much higher than outside where there are mitigating factors such as wind and precipitation. Even parking in shade can be a problem: 22 degrees outside can equal 47 degrees inside. Dogs have a higher body temperature than humans and a less efficient cooling system. We have also bred dogs with severely inhibited mechanisms for natural cooling, especially brachycephalic dogs. So many owners cannot be bothered to look after their dog’s coat so shave most of it off, thereby removing heat deflecting ability and exposing skin to potential damage. These dogs are more at risk from heatstroke (and skin cancers) even outside.
If you do find a dog in a hot car and cannot find the owner immediately, establish the dog’s condition. The dog may be suffering from heatstroke if:
- It is panting heavily
- Drooling excessively
- Appears lethargic
- Appears drowsy
- Appears unco-ordinated
- Is vomiting.
If there are any signs that this is the case, find a telephone and call 999 immediately, asking for the police. Write down the registration number and any other things of note and take pictures if you have a camera available. If possible, establish how long the dog has been in the car, for instance by checking for a pay and display parking ticket. If you are at an event or near a shop or similar, ask the staff to make an announcement over the public address system. You may need to send someone else for help or get them to monitor the dog while you go.
If the situation appears critical for the dog and the police have not arrived or will not attend, you may have to decide whether to break into the car. This could be classed as criminal damage and may land you in court. If you decide to go ahead, try to do so in presence of witnesses and tell the police what you intend to do and why. Obtain contact details for the witnesses.
The Criminal Damage Act 1971 Section 5(2)(a) states that you have a lawful excuse to commit damage if you believe that the owner of the property that you damage would consent to the damage if they knew the circumstances.
If the owner returns but you still feel that the situation was dangerous for the dog, you may still report the incident to the police.
Once the dog has been released, emergency first aid may be necessary before the dog is moved. The highest proprity with heatstroke is to lower body the temperature gradually. Take the dog into the shade or to a cool area. If possible soak towels and lie the dog on one with a fan directly on the dog whilst using the other to douse the dog. Use cool rather than cold water to prevent shock. Continue until the dog’s breathing normalises but stop before the dog begins to shiver.
The dog may drink small amounts of cool water.
Once the dog is cool, veterinary help should be sought urgently.
Doggy Daycare or Doggy Nightmare?
Following yet another incident with dogs stolen from a careless dog walker, the time has surely come for much stricter controls to be brought against so-called professional dog care and walking organisations.
STOP PRESS: After writing this yesterday, another dog has disappeared whilst being walked off lead by a ‘professional’ dog waker, this time in west London.
The list of incidents is long:
Four dogs have gone missing after their walkers van was stolen…
Teddy was stolen when he was taken out by his dog walker…
“Because we are walking groups of dogs and there’s been loads of thefts going on, we are always worried about being a victim…”
White fiat transit van full of dogs has just been stolen…
Dog walker killed six dogs after locking them in hot truck for 45 minutes… then lied and said they had been stolen…
A heartless thief stole six dogs out of a parked vehicle Tuesday while the dog walker went to use the washroom….
…cockapoo went missing while out with a dog walker … what is believed to be the remains of the two-year-old cocker spaniel-poodle cross had been found severely decomposed off a public footpath…
… dog walking company has running tab at local vet…
…a specialist was injured while out walking his own dog when two dog walkers appeared with eight dogs … he suddenly found himself thrown into the air and onto the floor. When he asked the professional dog walker if he was covered by insurance he said he was not, but gave him the owners’ number. The owners said “You tripped/placed yourself down on the ground, over your own dog.”
Thieves stole a van and 11 dogs when a professional walker stopped to pick up a dog and left the keys in the ignition…
… dog killed on road after dog sitter left front door open to chase another dog that was allowed to escape…
Every morning when walking my dog I see a fleet of vans from one company and another van from a second company doing the rounds and picking up dogs.
How long do they spend in the van? How hyped up/stressed do they get? How many incidents of bites and other injuries are there?
This is a lucrative industry with no regulation whatsoever. Even if the dog walker is negligent, the owners may be found responsible in the event of an incident. How many owners check the insurance policy of the walker, their experience, qualifications, knowledge of specific breeds?
Everyone needs a little help sometimes but dumping your dog on a walker all week because you are at work is not acceptable. The chances are, most of these dogs are untrained, allowed to run riot when with the walker and, frankly, there is no guarantee that they will be safe.
Vets Call For Ban On Homeopathy
A group of veterinary surgeaons has written an open letter to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to ask them to blacklist homeopathy from the treatments veterinary surgeons are allowed to offer animals and their owners. They believe that the current position of allowing veterinary surgeons to prescribe homeopathic treatments, which have been proven not to work, is both an animal welfare issue and fails to meet the standard required for scientific veterinary practice. This is a disservice to the animals and their owners. They state:
“We believe the RCVS should not allow members to prescribe homeopathy because:
- It is an animal welfare issue
- It undermines public confidence in mainstream medicine
- It would further differentiate veterinary surgeons from unlicensed healers
- It devalues conventional treatments
- It devalues conventional qualifications
- It would allow the veterinary profession to take the lead, forging the way for our human medical counterparts to do the same.
There is also an online petition that you can sign.
CReDO and DogsNet fully endorse this stance. Disagree? Post a comment!
New Fines Proposed For Dog Fouling
A bill is currently going through the House of Lords proposing to amend the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005.
The new proposals would add the following clause:
“In Chapter 1 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 (controls on dogs), insert—
“55 Dog fouling: offence
(1) A person is guilty of an offence if he or she allows a dog for which he or she is responsible to foul in any place to which this section applies and does not dispose of the dog waste.
(2) This section applies to any place in the area of a principal litter authority which is open to the air and accessible to the public.
(3) No offence is committed under subsection (1) where the dog fouling is—
(a)authorised by law; or
(b)done by or with the consent of the owner, occupier or other person having control of the place where the fouling occurs.
The maximum fine allowable will also be raised from £80 to £100.
It is also proposed that dog faeces be added to the cigarettes and chewing gum as item regarded as litter under Section 98(5A)(b) of the Environmental Protection Act.
If the Bill is passed, as looks likely, a duty will also be imposed on local authorities to provide a minimum number of waste bins, but alas only for cigarettes and chewing gum. Cuts to local authority budgets have already seen a decline in all types of waste bin as well as fewer collections. Beats me why councils haven’t used dog poo compost bins; they could then sell the results to gardeners.
Picking up and disposing of dog waste responsibly is vital to prevent the spread of disease from dog to dog as well to other animals, including humans. An increasing number of dogs are fed a raw diet or may be given raw bones, raising the chances that they will shed bacteria such as salmonella, giardia and campylobacter into the environment. Additionally, some diseases only spread when faeces are a few days old. Dog feces may contain parvovirus, whipworms, hookworms, roundworms, threadworms, campylobacteriosis, giardia and coccidia. If left unattended, parasites can contaminate water and soil and result in infection in dogs and humans. Neosporosis and sarcocystosis can spread from dog faces on grazing land and cause, respectively, abortions in cattle and neurological disease and death in sheep.
So
BAG IT, BIN IT AND DISPOSE OF IT RESPONSIBLY.