Dog News from around the World

General Dog Welfare News

This page endeavours to feature general news related to dog welfare.

Microchips for all dogs to hold owners to account

All dogs may have to be fitted with microchips under government plans to encourage 'responsible' pet ownership. Click here to read ...more details...

Breeders of 'superdogs' warned they are taking 'enormous risks' with the public.

Irresponsible youths with no conception of their actions are breeding dogs that the majority of the public will not be able to handle and thereby in danger of bringing certain breeds tragically and unnecessarily into disrepute through their selfish actions. Another indication that all dog breeders should be licensed. Various newspapers have published articles ...more details...

The Rottweiller again illogically being described as a dangerous dog. Ignorance and sensationalist press do not help, alas the man who conceived the Labradoodle as he said opened a 'Pandora's Box' for which many breeds are paying the price, it does not make for sounder dogs or better temperaments and alas they still end up in rehoming organisations looking for homes. A similar article on this latest invented breed ...more details...

Dog Control Bill successfully passes through the House of Lords

he House of Lords has given its full backing to the Dog Control Bill, which The Blue Cross has been supporting as a replacement for the failing Dangerous Dogs Act ...more details...

Gorgeous puppy helps rescue swimmer in trouble on Swansea beach

Dobermann puppy raises alert for swimmer in trouble for ...more details...

Brothers jailed over barbaric dog fights

Two "cruel and barbaric" brothers have become the first Scots to be jailed under new laws to tackle illegal dog fighting after an undercover operation by the Scottish SPCA ...more details....

Financial squeeze sees 345 dogs abandoned every day

The number of dogs being abandoned as strays has soared to its highest level in more than a decade, with the recession and the growing use of animals as fashion accessories or status symbols being blamed for the increase.

This is chilling news, when will the government see that all breeders are licensed? Probably never as they do not have to pick up the cost of these dogs that are treated like disposable waste. Please read on.

Do our Vets always have our dogs best interests at heart?

We should stop doting on our dogs. Our canine friends are poorly served by the veterinary industry who indulge dogs as well as their owners, according to Germaine Greer. ...more details...

Dog Control

Leading charities call on Government to act on dog control issues another article from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home expressing concern "...more details....

Pets are Victims

Pets are Victims of the growing rental market read Battersea article here

Health News

Dog owners warned over tick risk read NHS Choices.

DEFRA

DEFRA responds to idea of mandatory microchipping read on.

Dogs in hot weather

K.C. urges owners to consider dogs in hot weather and gives advice here

Stand Off in China

Stand-off saves dogs from the dinner plate dinner plate

Dog and dead puppy dumped

The Scottish SPCA has appealed for information after a healthy dog and dead puppy were dumped in a lay-by near Portsoy. Full story here and here

Still the police seem to be no closer to stopping this barbaric practice as reading all these articles show. Read on

Armed to the teeth: the problem with pit bulls

Pit bulls are increasingly replacing knives as the weapon of choice among gang members, with equally deadly results. Read on

Loyal Japanese dog leads rescuers to mate

A spaniel found amid the devastation in Ibaraki Prefecture leads a TV crew to its injured friend. To see video click here.

Dogs overtaking cats as Britains favourite pet.

New figures show the number of dogs is at all-time high and is on course to end feline supremacy. ... more details ...

The shame of North East Scotland

Suspicion of dog fighting rings continue but still nothing to convict these vile individuals. Several articles concerning the cruel death of a Staffie cross type read here and here

£1 million for 'world's most expensive dog'.

A World gone mad? A red Tibetan Mastiff puppy has become the world's most expensive dog after being sold for almost £1 million read on

Lords debate 'dogbo' sanctions for pet owners

The House of Lords has debated plans to give councils new powers to target the owners of dangerous dogs. more details

Abandoned Staffords reach unprecedented levels in Scotland.

Unprecedented numbers of Staffordshire Bull Terriers are being abandoned across the Lothians. read more

Shanghai debates 'one-dog' rule

City has an estimated population of 800,000 dogs. read more

Liverpool Council targeting 'menacing dogs'

Consultation on pilot scheme aimed at 'menacing dogs' read more

Blood transfusion for dog

Telford dog after removal of spleen made full recovery read more

Irresponsible dog owners targeted

New law will allow councils to take action over nuisance pets. Irresponsible pet owners will be hit with “dog Asbos” from today as new Scottish Government legislation comes into force. read more

Borzoi dies after being attacked in own home.

A Borzoi has died after being attacked by two dogs who are now in police kennels. read more about this horrific incident

Dogs 'share their owners' emotions'

The bond between dogs and their owners may be deeper than we thought, according to research that suggests the pets may share their owners' emotions ... more details ...

Help for Dogs Fearing Fireworks

MILLIONS will celebrate a delayed Bonfire Night this weekend - a potential nigtmare for pets. Dogs are especially affected - the RSPCA estimates 45 per cent show fear more details here and advice to help your pets here

Cheaper to kill DDA dogs, says peer

ANIMAL welfare groups have reacted angrily to a suggestion that dogs seized or held by police under section one of the Dangerous Dogs Act (DDA) should be put to sleep immediately. Lord (Toby) Harris’ remarks were made at a Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) meeting ... more details ...

Puppy Farms

Animal rescue centres through out the UK are full, often with dogs bought from pet shops on a whim or because some well meaning member of the public felt sorry for the pitiful looking puppy sitting behind glass or in a wire cage.
Many of these dogs have been bred and supplied by puppy farms Puppy Love is an on line community dedicated to outlawing puppy farming you can find out more here

English drug barons and badger baiters have moved danger dogs to Scotland

ENGLISH drug barons and badger baiters are now hiding and training their devil dogs in Scotland... more details ...

Dangerous dogs: DEFRA’s Plan to draw up new laws

A PUBLIC consultation on how to tackle irresponsible owners and their potentially dangerous dogs is to be launched within weeks, DOG WORLD has been told.... more details ...

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Dog Kept Missing Yavapai Co. Girl Alive

CORDES LAKES, Ariz. - A 3-year-old girl is back with her parents after spending the night alone in the 30-degree northern Arizona wilderness. Rescue teams found the girl early Friday morning, and curled up right next to her was the family dog Blue.... more details ...

Chinese legal experts call for ban on eating cats and dogs

Chinese legal experts are proposing a ban on eating dogs and cats in a contentious move to end a culinary tradition dating back thousands of years... more details ...

Will China stop eating dogs?

A law is being drafted which would make it illegal to eat or sell dog and cat meat in China. Under the Anti-Animal Cruelty Law, those who break the rules would face a fine of up to 5,000 yuan (£453) and 15 days in prison.... more details ...

Barking up the wrong tree about dangerous dogs

In the wake of the death of another young child in the jaws of “pit bull type” dog, there’s been the usual knee jerk reaction. ... more details ...

Campaign to outlaw puppy farming

The Dog's Trust has just begun a campaign to outlaw puppy farming, which is a major contributor to the plight of so many abandoned and unhealthy dogs:
... more details ...

Overseeing breeding practices

Is the Kennel Club Fit for Function? It’s a debateable point. According to its own mission statement the primary objective of the KC is ‘to promote in every way, the general improvement of dogs’... more details ...

Council to refuse to house owners of ‘weapon dogs’

People seeking council housing are to be checked for “weapon dogs” and will be refused a tenancy if they own the aggressive animals ... more details ...

Dog breeders to be registered in attempt to reduce canine deformities

A shake-up in the way that dogs are bought and sold is to be proposed by an inquiry into the future of canine breeding in Britain. Plans for a compulsory registration scheme for breeders — whether of pedigrees or crosses — has emerged in a report by Professor Sir Patrick Bateson, a leading zoologist, which aims to stamp out controversial breeding practices in which puppies are born with disease and deformities ... more details ...

Register for Irish breeders?

LEGISLATION has been published in the Irish Republic which, according to Environment Minister John Gormley, will put an end to ‘back-street dog breeders’... more details ...

The RSPCA poses a threat to dog shows

In its response to the APGAW report the RSPCA confirms that it continues to adopt an extreme position over the matter of pedigree dogs ... more details ...

Christmas Casualties

CANINE welfare charities are bracing themselves for the usual spate of dumped dogs who have become the annual casualties of Christmas. ... more details ...

PM backs overhaul of Dangerous Dogs Act

THE PRIME Minister has backed a national newspaper’s campaign to overhaul the Dangerous Dogs Act. Gordon Brown spoke out as ministers faced calls to review the Act after the death of John-Paul Massey, the four-year-old who was mauled by a pit bull-type dog at his grandmother’s home in Liverpool. ... more details ...

KC’s puppy farm petition goes to Downing Street

A KENNEL Club petition bearing the names of 15,000 people is calling on the Government to put a halt to the puppy farm trade at Christmas. The petition was delivered to 10 Downing Street last week by MP Ian Cawsey. It urges the Government to make the principles and standards of the Accredited Breeder Scheme mandatory for all breeders. ... more details ...

Dogs Dying by the Hour

Every Hour of the day one stray dog is put to sleep somewhere in the U.K. ... more details ...

Dog abuse at its worst... Claire Parker is accused woman in horrific dog fighting trial.

As reported in The Times. ... more details ...

Could your dog be cleverer than your two year old?

You may have thought that a dog has little on its mind other than food and walkies. However it turns out they are also capable of pondering a spot of basic maths or the meaning of certain words ... more details ...

Dogs as intelligent as two-year-old children

Researchers have found that dogs are capable of understanding up to 250 words and gestures, can count up to five and can perform simple mathematical calculations. Using tests originally designed to demonstrate the development of language, pre-language and basic arithmetic in human children, the researchers were able to show that the average dog is far more intelligent than they are given credit for.... more details ...

Dogs and cats being abandoned by British expats as downturn hits

Lady, a German shepherd cross, was checked into kennels in Cyprus last year by a British couple supposedly going on holiday. They never returned. Three months later Lady was passed to an animal sanctuary, where she has been since November.... more details ...

Dogs Trust on nationwide microchip tour

DOGS Trust’s ‘chip van’ has just begun its two-month nationwide tour with the aim of convincing MPs to add compulsory microchipping to their animal welfare manifestos.... more details ...

Inside the world of dog-fighting

It was the sound of dogs barking and whimpering that first attracted PC Paul Foster to the back of an old kitchen showroom in inner city Birmingham.... more details ...

What really makes dogs dangerous?

Terror is a small, stout creature. She has a dull brown coat and a white patch on the ridge of her nose. Apart from this marking, she looks much like every other Staffordshire bull terrier you pass in this part of north London, where the affluent streets of Islington meet the Hackney border.... more details ...

'I deal with extreme cases of dog abuse'

I've been a qualified vet for 41 years, and the director of north London's Harmsworth RSPCA Animal Hospital for 22 years. And from what I can see, animal abuse is worse now than ever before, certainly in dog-cruelty cases. Back in the Seventies, there tended to be a set pattern with animal abuse, which was mostly down to ignorance.... more details ...

Dogs abandoned for not matching furniture

Irresponsible pet owners have abandoned their dogs because they did not match their furniture, an animal charity said today.... more details ...

How frequent are maulings by dogs, and how can you tell if one is vicious?

A three-month-old baby was mauled to death by his grandmother's Jack Russell and Staffordshire bull terrier at her home in South Wales on Friday night. A post-mortem examination indicated that Jaden Joseph Mack died from wounds inflicted by the two pets, which were subsequently put down. Jaden's grandmother Denise Wilson, 53, who was treated for shock, ran out of her house in Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly, and desperately sought help, but nothing could be done for the baby.... more details ...

Street-fighting dogs treated for stab wounds

Animal health workers are treating dogs for stab wounds, cigarettes burns and broken bones as reports of street fighting soar.... more details ...

Buy & Sell urged to stop blood sport dog adverts

Animal welfare groups in the Irish Republic have called on Buy & Sell, a classified listings newspaper, to stop carrying advertisements for dogs used in illegal blood sports. Animal welfare groups in the Irish Republic have called on Buy & Sell, a classified listings newspaper, to stop carrying advertisements for dogs used in illegal blood sports. ... more details ...

Animal obesity causes real suffering

Allowing animals to become overweight is cruel, and can land you in court. Why can't we stop over-indulging our pets?... more details ...

China plans first animal welfare law

Backlash after thousands of dogs are slaughtered to prevent spread of rabies ... more details ...

Dangers of dying algae by Jane Lilley

A strong word of warning about blue-green algae comes from Anita Scott in Bramhills, West Midlands saying that she has just experienced three days of hell during which her three-year-old Beardie cross Border Collie was affected by this horrible stuff. ... more details ...

Campaigning against puppy farms

PUPPY Love is a group working hard to raise awareness of puppy farming and the connection between them and licensed commercial breeders, dealers and pet shops. It is holding an awareness day on September 19 to coincide with Puppy Mill Awareness Day in the US. Click here to hear DOG WORLD news editor Chrissy Smith in conversation with one of the group’s leaders, Ronnie, who explains why it is so important to educate the puppy-buying public. ... more details ...

Festive fallout leaves rescues reeling

HUNDREDS of dogs and puppies are being abandoned throughout the UK – either because they were unwanted Christmas presents or because their families are struggling as the credit crunch bites ... more details ...

Cruel dog owner who starved German Shepherd Hobo to the point on death banned from owning pets for 25 years

A cruel dog owner whose German Shepherd lost more than half his body weight and was days away from death has been banned from owning an animal for 25 years. Joy Battison starved Hobo to the point where his weight plummeted to 40lbs. ... more details ...

Season dog crisis comes early as families abandon pets to save cash

Luxuries were the first things to go: foreign holidays, expensive Christmas presents, office parties. Now Rufus, Spot and Max, along with many of their furry brethren, are the latest victims of the financial crisis. ... more details ...

Puppy handed in for rehoming on Christmas day

A LABRADOR puppy was the first to be handed in to a rehoming centre this festive season, the Dogs Trust said. ... more details ...

Welsh Assembly issues guide to owning pets

WALES has become the first country in the UK to publish guidance on the welfare of dogs, cats and horses. The guidance is aimed at educating people about the responsibility, time and cost involved in caring properly for an animal. Cases of animal cruelty and abandonment continue to rise, and the Welsh Assembly believes this suggests that not all prospective pet owners have considered carefully the responsibilities associated with looking after a pet. Recent RSPCA figures showed that cruelty investigations in England and Wales rose from 105,000 in 2003 to just below 140,000 in 2007. Other animal welfare charities have also seen a rise in the number of animals in their sanctuaries. ... more details ...

Jail for dog-fight man in first Animal Welfare Act case

A MAN has been jailed for six months for dog fighting offences in the first case of its kind under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Liaquat Ali, 40, of Steiner Street, Accrington, Lancashire, was also banned from keeping animals for life after being convicted of keeping a premises for the purposes of dog fighting, and causing two protected animals, namely dogs, to fight. ... more details ...

Investigation after 35 dogs rescued from ‘drug factory’

POLICE in the Irish Republic have launched an investigation after 35 dogs were rescued from a disused farm which was being used as an illegal drugs processing plant. A tip-off to the ISPCA prompted the Garda raid on the isolated property at the foot of the Dublin Mountains where the dogs were being held in what were described as ‘rat-infested and appalling conditions’. The breeds involved were said to be Dobermanns, German Shepherds, ‘English and American Bulldogs,’ and some terriers and lurchers. ... more details ...

Compulsory microchipping for council tenants’ dogs

A LONDON council has become the first in the country to introduce a compulsory microchipping scheme.The new scheme means that all of Wandsworth council’s tenants have to microchip their dogs as part of their housing regulations. Those who refuse will face eviction. ... more details ...

Dogs Trust hits out at ‘puppy superstores’

AS DOGS Trust celebrates the 30th anniversary of its slogan ‘A dog is for life, not just for Christmas’ it is urging people considering buying a dog to think first before going to a ‘puppy superstore’. The charity believes that thanks to the slogan’s success fewer people seem to be buying dogs as Christmas gifts. But it says research has revealed that each year 131,400 puppies year still end up as a festive surprise to a possibly unwilling recipient. ... more details ...

Big rise in cruelty to dogs

THE DECAYING body of a starved dog found chained by a radiator, a cat kicked to death for having muddy paws and a dog with a deep neck wound from a collar more than four inches smaller than its neck – this is just a tiny sample of the horrors confronted by RSPCA inspectors in 2007... more details ...

Disease threat from abroad

THE NUMBER of dogs becoming severely ill due to foreign diseases has shown a marked increase. When introducing the pet travel scheme, the Government always focused its attentions on preventing an outbreak of rabies – despite warnings from vets that the tick and sandfly-borne diseases could pose a far greater threat. ... more details ...

Breeder convicted of causing suffering withdraws appeal

AN APPEAL against animal cruelty convictions by breeder Nadia Carlye at Gloucester Crown Court has been withdrawn. The 34-year-old had denied nine charges of causing unnecessary suffering to 19 Utonagan adult dogs and puppies at her cottage at Lydbrook, Forest of Dean. A district judge sitting at Forest of Dean Magistrates’ Court had banned her from keeping dogs for 12 months, ... more details ...

New Forest dog owners protest at ‘betrayal’,

DOG OWNERS have accused the New Forest National Park Authority (NPA) of ‘betrayal’ over a proposal to bar them from parts of the forest.New Forest Dog Owners Group (NFDOG) has launched a bitter attack on the members of the authority, accusing them of intolerance and being prejudiced against dogs. ... more details ...

Anti-theft groups at Discover Dogs

CAMPAIGNING group Dog Theft Action (DTA) will be joining Vets Get Scanning – another anti-theft organisation – at Discover Dogs.“As the credit crunch bites relationships suffer and dogs – once comfortable within a family unit – can become objects of contention,” said DTA chairman Neil Ewart. ... more details ...

Why owning a dog is good for your health

DOGS Trust is calling on GPs and health professionals to ‘prescribe’ the benefits of dog ownership to their patients.The charity has gathered what it says is ‘concrete proof’ that dogs are good for health and has compiled independent academic research from around the world to highlight the main nine areas in which owning or interacting with a dog can be beneficial ... more details ...

Do you walk the dog every day

A NEW report has revealed that millions of Brits are neglecting their dogs by not giving them enough exercise. A poll of 2,000 owners showed that one in ten never walk their dog and almost a third do so only twice a week at the most. ... more details ...

Dog fighting rings rife in north Scotland

CLANDESTINE and illegal dog fighting rings are more rife in the north east of Scotland than elsewhere in the country, according to animal welfare experts. They are investigating instances in towns and cities across the north-east including Fraserburgh, Peterhead and Macduff, as well as Dundee – and there has been a report of a dog-fighting ring within Aberdeen city. ... more details ...

Designer crossbreeds dumped by their owners

A growing number of so-called ‘designer’ crossbreed dogs are being dumped, according Dogs Trust. The charity says some breeds made fashionable by celebrities are now appearing all too often at its shelters. It is worried that people want to be like stars and, therefore, get the same dogs ... more details ...

Dogs stolen for Drugs

Criminal gangs are becoming increasingly prepared to use violence to steal dogs. According to Doglost there are more and more cases of gangs threatening owners with knives and even guns to steal rare or expensive animals ... more details ...

Shown the door

An alarming new report has shown that 75 per cent of dogs are banned from private rental properties ... more details ...

Dog fighting rings revealed

Two illegal dog fighting rings are active in Aberdeen, according to information received by animal welfare experts ... more details ...

Stray Dog Figures Reach a Plateau

The current trend for dogs to be used as fashion accessories and statements is causing more strays and unwanted animals to be put to sleep. This comes from Dogs Trust the U.K.'s largest welfare dog welfare charity.

Irresponsible dog owners held accountable for UK's stray dog statistics Dogs Trust survey finds 10,617 stray dogs in Wales* last year - leading charity cites the current trend for dogs as status symbols and fashion accessories as a major cause of stray dog numbers ... more details ...

New rules on strays 'disaster predicted

FEARS continue that there will be an increase in stray dogs roaming urban areas when responsibility for them at evenings and weekends is moved from the police to local authorities. It emerged this week that only half of Wales’ 22 councils have finalised their stray dog policy even though the new arrangements start in April... more details ...

Throw-away society blamed for sharp rise in stray dogs

The message that a dog is for life, not just for Christmas, appears to have failed miserably after a sharp rise in the number of stray dogs rescued by councils across England during the festive period.

A new survey of 55 councils by the Local Government Association found 40 per cent reporting an increase in the number of strays picked up in recent weeks, with some areas recording double the usual amount. Many are concerned that the figures are part of a bigger trend, with increasing numbers of dogs being turned out onto the streets throughout the year... more details ...

Dogs victims of hard times

MAN’S best friend has become a victim of the credit crisis – with hard-up families in areas across the country abandoning their dogs or having them put down.... more details ...

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