The award winning Spiffy Dog Collars and leads are distributed in the UK and Mainland Europe by Xtra Dog, Nook Farmhouse, Ashby Rd, Shepshed Loughborough LE12 9BS. Telephone +44 (0) 3330 088 3647, website www.XtraDog.com. In Ireland by Holistic Pet Product, telephone +353 (0) 45 890557, website www.hpp.ie. For North America and Canada please contact Spiffy Dog Pet P.O. Box 770746, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477. Telephone 970.870.6164, website www.SpiffyDog.com

In Europe we currently offer a choice of 19 designs of Spiffy Dog collars with matching leads and next month at Discover Dogs (November 12-13) we will be launching the yellow stars designs featured in this month’ Pet Trade World, along with our annual Christmas Collar.

The UK suggested retail price is £12.80 for Spiffy Dog collars, with the exception of the high visibility collars which are £14.80

A new European law that raises standards for animals used in research and testing across many EU countries may allow UK rules to be watered down, the RSPCA said today.

The directive, which will regulate the way laboratory animals are used and cared for in experiments throughout the EU’s 27 member states, was given the final thumbs-up by the European Parliament today.

It is now up to the UK government to ensure that its own laws meet the minimum requirements of the EU directive. The standards set by the directive are basic standards and the UK already goes further in many areas.

However, the RSPCA is concerned that the government may opt to reduce UK rules to the minimum requirements in the directive, even though it is allowed to keep its current higher standards.

UK standards must not be weakened

RSPCA senior scientist Barney Reed said: “This directive sets out absolute minimum standards for the regulation of laboratory animal care and use. Any attempt by the UK government to use this as a cover for reducing our own laws to this basic level would be inexcusable.

“The RSPCA is urging the government to respect public concerns and at the very least maintain the level of regulation that we currently have, otherwise both animal welfare and UK science will suffer.”

The directive should mean a rise in standards in those EU countries which currently have little in the way of animal welfare laws.

For example, the directive explicitly requires the use of humane alternatives to animals wherever possible, and it has better requirements for licensing experiments and training researchers. But – crucially – its effectiveness will depend on how each country implements and enforces the legislation.

High level of public concern

Barney added: “Given the dramatic rise in the number of animals used in UK research and testing in recent years, and the high level of public concern for the suffering these animals experience, any weakening of legislation – or moves towards self-regulation – would be completely unacceptable.”

The RSPCA is deeply disappointed that many important provisions included in the original proposed directive, which would have afforded more protection for animals, have either been watered down or lost altogether from the final version.

The RSPCA’s main concerns about the new directive, which will be known as ‘Directive 8869/10’, are:

* It includes improved standards of housing and care for animals, but member states are allowed until 2017 to actually implement them. As there was widespread agreement at the end of the last century that the old standards were outdated, this delay is outrageous.
* There are no real measures that will encourage researchers to reduce or avoid primate use or lead to a decrease in primate use.
* Primates may still be captured and taken from the wild for use in breeding centres supplying animals to labs in the EU. The UK has had a ban on the use of wild caught primates in research since 1995.
* There is no outright ban on the use of great apes, such as chimpanzees, in experiments. The UK currently has a policy ban on great ape use on moral grounds.
* The role of ‘animal welfare bodies’ within establishments was progressively undermined in successive drafts of the directive. This flies in the face of the significant contribution that the UK Ethical Review Process has made to questioning the necessity and justification for animal use, improving science and animal welfare.
* Unlike in the previous directive, projects may be allowed to cause animals ‘severe’ pain, suffering or distress that cannot be alleviated if there is scientific justification.

Leading animal welfare campaigners and behaviourists have joined forces over a new initiative designed to curb puppy farming and back yard breeding in the UK.

www.ethicalbreeding.com, brainchild of top pet behaviour specialist and star of BBC’s Dog Borstal, Debbie Connolly, will become the UK’s only website to showcase breeders who health test, rear their animals correctly and offer a lifetime back-up plan at the time of purchase.

Debbie, who runs SafePets UK, the highly-acclaimed training organisation dedicated to promoting responsible animal ownership, feels that poor breeding is the root cause of many serious dog problems: “Health problems account for a high proportion of temperament issues and greedy breeders, who don’t do their job properly, bring misery and danger to dogs and owners alike. A breeder who refuses to health test is likely to be cutting corners elsewhere, and should be avoided at all cost.”

Health testing, while run by the Kennel Club, is not compulsory and this allows many unscrupulous breeders to advertise their puppies without any questions being asked.

Debbie added: “This new site will change the landscape completely. From now on, buyers will have the confidence to select a dog from responsible breeders who put the welfare of their animals above everything else. In time, our approach should bring an end to the UK’s shameful puppy farming trade and replace it with a growing number of well bred, well-socialised animals who are far less likely to cause harm to those around them.”

The campaign has received backing from across the industry. TV Vet, Joe Inglis, said: “Supporting and promoting ethical breeding practices is vital for the health and wellbeing of our canine companion. Puppy farming is an abuse of our loyal canine companions who deserve to be brought up in healthy and loving environments, and I wholeheartedly support the ethical breeding campaign for encouraging all new dog owners to think about where their new pets are coming from.’

Vet Marc Abraham and Peter Purves have added their support via the new website.

Debbie Connolly has been lobbying MP’s to try to get better legislation. Roger Baker, joint chair of Conservative Animal Welfare, has given his backing: “As Joint Chairman of Conservative Animal Welfare, I think it fair to say that this scheme shows vision and potentially has the ability to make a significant difference to the way in which we can improve the standards of puppy breeding in the UK.”

With a string of high profile dog attacks hitting the headlines over the past year, Debbie Connolly feels people should be extremely cautious when researching and buying from a breeder: “The dogs that feature in these tragedies are not from responsible breeders. If you want a happy, healthy pet that is safe around children, buy from a reputable, registered breeder who takes every step to ensure their animals are well adjusted and healthy. There is no such thing as a bargain.”

The website address is www.ethicalbreeding.com and the first breeders have already registered.

Further developments are planned for the site over the next 12 months.

The Freedom Project, a pet fostering scheme run by the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, Dogs Trust, has launched an urgent appeal to animal-lovers in the Greater London, Hertfordshire and Yorkshire areas to temporarily care for the pets of victims of domestic violence.

Domestic violence (DV) affects one in four women at some time in their life and research shows there are definite links between the abuse of adults, children and animals. Often a pet is the only source of affection for a victim of DV, yet refuges and temporary accommodation facilities frequently cannot allow pets.

Clare Kivlehan, Freedom Project Manager, explains why the project was set up: “Unfortunately women often remain in a violent situation as they fear their partner will deliberately harm their pet if they leave; it can come down to making the choice between your own safety and that of your pet. The Freedom Project allows women in this terrible situation to know that their beloved pet will be cared for so they can escape the violent household and set up a new life.”

Sarah-Jane Honeywell is well known for her career as a CBeebies TV presenter and children’s entertainer but fourteen years ago was in an abusive relationship where she and her pets experienced domestic violence.

Sarah-Jane explains: “I was 22 years old at the time and I’m sorry to say that I put up with quite a lot of physical abuse from my ex partner before I finished the relationship. The final straw came when he turned against my pets. That was enough for me: I can take a lot but I cannot take any abuse to animals.

I found new homes for my two cats Figaro and Ezme over the next week and told my ex I didn’t want them any more because they were too much to cope with. I felt like I’d let them down, but I knew they couldn’t stay in that situation. Once they were safe I broke up with him – I knew he would get angry and I didn’t want them to get hurt too.

Although I moved on and am now in a wonderful relationship, I still find it hard to forgive myself for allowing this to happen to my pets.

I only wish something like the Freedom Project had existed back then. I think I would have ended the relationship much more quickly if I’d known there was a safe, temporary foster home for my cats. Although I’m glad I was able to save them from any further abuse I really miss them and sorely regret having given them away.”

Since Dogs Trust set up Freedom Project six years ago over 700 pets have been helped.

Staff receive calls daily from referral agencies including the domestic violence charity Refuge and several Social Services departments, so more dog foster carers are urgently needed.

Dog foster placements generally last around nine months. During the placement the Freedom Project provides all pet food and veterinary treatment free of charge. Total anonymity is assured, dogs will not be fostered in the area where the owner is from and the carer who fosters the dog will not know who the owner is or where they live. Freedom Project staff provide help and support and each placement is monitored on a regular basis.

Volunteers should already own a dog or have experience of looking after them, need to be available during the day to look after the client’s dog in their own home, and should be flexible about which breed they are willing to care for. In multi-pet households Cats Protection will care for the cats.

Cats Protection joined the scheme six years ago and has since helped nearly 200 cats, from both multi-pet and cat-only households, in the Greater London and Hertfordshire areas. Cat foster placements can last up to six months and Cats Protection provides care and veterinary treatment free of charge whilst providing anonymity and regular updates to the owner.

For more information regarding becoming a dog foster carer or to use this service, contact

London Freedom Project – telephone 0800 298 9199 or email freedomproject@dogstrust.org.uk

Yorkshire Freedom Project – telephone 0800 083 4322 or email freedomproject@dogstrust.org.uk

If you are suffering domestic violence call the Freephone 24 hour National Domestic Helpline on 0808 2000 247 run in partnership between Women’s Aid and Refuge. The freephone helpline is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and all calls are confidential.

If you would like to volunteer for Dogs Trust but do not live in Greater London, Hertfordshire or Yorkshire, the charity’s network of 17 rehoming centres across the UK always welcome volunteer dog walkers, dog socialisers, pre-adoption home visitors and fundraisers. For more details please see www.dogstrust.org.uk

New figures released today show that the RSPCA is now receiving a call about an abandoned dog every hour.

Between January and April 2010, the Society was inundated with more than 3,500 calls from members of the public about dumped dogs. This relates to a total of 4,966 dogs which were abandoned.

Throughout 2009, in the grip of the credit crunch, the charity took 11,574 calls about abandoned dogs and the RSPCA is worried that this year could hold a similar fate for even more animals.

The RSPCA believes that the introduction of a dog licence could tackle a wide range of dog welfare problems which stem from the lack of traceable ownership.

David Bowles, RSPCA’s head of external affairs, said: “Every year, we sadly see thousands of dogs heartlessly abandoned throughout England and Wales. The RSPCA and various organisations work tirelessly to help the poor animals who are cast aside in such a wreckless manner.

“But we believe that a dog licencing scheme could provide a solution to this ongoing problem and help make sure that people who do dump their dogs don’t get away with this criminal offence.”

The charity hopes that an effective licencing scheme providing traceable ownership could help to track down the people who are committing a criminal offence by abandoning an animal.

The RSPCA is working with other animal welfare groups and relevant authorities to develop the first Government-backed approach to manage the most pressing problems associated with dog ownership.

The funding from a licence scheme could be ploughed into tackling key issues including abandonments, antisocial dog behaviour such as dog attacks, the risks to human health from dog-related diseases, irresponsible dog breeding and deliberate cruelty to dogs

Earlier this year, the RSPCA revealed strong public support for the reintroduction of a dog licence. In a TNS poll, 76% of people asked said that a dog licence should be enforced in England to help curb problems such as animal abandonments.

The survey also found that 2 out of 3 (66%) of the dog owners asked would be in favour of a licence scheme. The RSPCA has submitted these results in response to the consultation on dangerous dog legislation recently conducted by the UK government.

A young Lanarkshire rescue dog born with no eyes has a new leash of life thanks to her very own ‘seeing eye’ canine chum.

Paris, a one year old Labrador Collie cross, was handed in with her littermates to Dogs Trust West Calder rehoming centre last year and was perfectly healthy – except she had been born with no eyes.

Susan Tonner, Dogs Trust West Calder centre manager, explains: “Paris’s eyelids are permanently shut, so it looks like she’s sleepwalking. We knew that despite her condition she would be able to lead a very happy life, so we launched an urgent appeal to find her a special home where an existing pet could be her ‘eyes’ and happily play the role of a special guide dog.

Blind dogs can often benefit from having a sighted doggy friend for company. If they hear a friend is near then they will know that the area is safe. Having a sighted companion can really boost a blind dog’s confidence.”

Fortunately it did not take long for Paris to find her perfect new owners as Lesley Dickinson from Queenzieburn, Kilsyth, already owned a seven year old rescue Collie cross and was entirely unfazed by Paris’s condition.

Lesley Dickinson said: “I’ve never owned a blind dog before but we haven’t had any problems at all. She’s such a friendly wee soul and settled in immediately with my other dog, Madison, who acts as her guide dog.

To begin with I put a small bell on Madison’s collar so she could find her easily. I’ve also trained Paris to know I’m addressing her by touching her lightly on the nose or by clicking my fingers before I speak.

She’s as bright as a button and has even picked up some tricks. She can sit and give her paw on command – although she doesn’t always face the right direction! She has even figured out how to use door handles to let herself in a room.”

Some might say the Dickinson family have quite a menagerie of pets in their home: along with the two dogs Lesley and her teenage twins Joshua and Melissa also own a cat and several rabbits.

Lesley Dickinson adds: “Our other pets are coping with Paris’s condition very well and she enjoys romping about with our rabbits in their 18 foot enclosure. Although at first she thought the cat would do the ‘seeing eye’ job and was soon put in her place!”

For more information or advice about living with a pet with special needs visit www.dogstrust.org.uk or call the charity on 020 7837 006.

Dogs Trust welcomes the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill which has now completed stage three of its passage through the Scottish parliament. The Bill, put forward by Christine Grahame MSP, champions the principle of ‘deed not breed’, and provides local authorities with greater powers to impose penalties on irresponsible owners.

Dogs Trust has long campaigned for a fresh approach to the management of dangerous dogs in the UK, following the failure of the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act to prevent dog attacks. Dogs Trust, as a member of the Dangerous Dogs Act Study Group (DDASG), along with a variety of other welfare organisations, the Kennel Club and the BVA, has supported Ms Grahame’s Bill since it was introduced as a Private Members Bill by Alex Neill MSP.

Dogs Trust believes that the issue of dangerous dogs is a social problem and that any solution must address the problem of dangerous owners. The Control of Dogs (Scotland) Bill highlights the responsibility of the owners to prevent dog attacks to protect the public and places less emphasis on the breed of dog. Dogs Trust does not consider Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) to be effective, and fully supported the amendment lodged by Patricia Ferguson MSP which removed the reference to a dogs’ ‘size and power’ when assessing whether or not the animal is out of control. The Bill does stop short of a complete repeal of BSL. BSL has not prevented dog attacks, nor has it eradicated the Pit Bull in the UK despite having devastating consequences for some breed-types.

Clarissa Baldwin, Dogs Trust CEO commented: “Whilst Dogs Trust is extremely supportive of the Bills intention and considers this an excellent start to addressing a national problem, there is more to be done. Dogs Trust would like to see the next UK Government introducing the compulsory microchipping of dogs, taking action to address the worrying trend in bull-breed type dogs in urban areas, and implementing a cross-departmental approach to education on responsible dog ownership.”

Dogs Trust Glasgow recently became the first Scottish dog charity to be visited by a million pound charity fundraiser on an international ‘paw shaking’ tour of rescue centres across the world.

Over the last 36 years, Willie Nugent, 61, from Northern Ireland has raised over £1m for charity in his spare time by undertaking some wacky challenges including crawling 16 miles on his hands and knees, walking 81 miles backwards in 24 hours and pushing a pea with his nose for 3 miles!

Despite approaching retirement age Willie is still going strong with his fundraising and he attributes his good health and fundraising success to owning his two dogs, Whiskey and Lady.

“The secret of my years of good health and always being fit to complete my fundraising events is my dogs. Every day of my life they have taken me for three walks a day, seven days a week, in sunshine, rain and snow.

People thank many things for their good health, I thank my canine friends. Without them I would never have been able to raise so much money for charity.”

Keen to raise money for dogs less fortunate than his, Willie launched the ‘Shaking Paws Around the World’ campaign in 2007. Paying for all trips out of his own pocket, he travels all over the world visiting dog rescue centres to ‘shake paws’ with a canine ambassador from each country, raising money for local charities and highlighting the health benefits of dog ownership.

In the last three years Willie has visited shelters in Russia, Greece, Romania, Ireland, England, America, Israel, Romania, Barbados and Spain. Today was his first ever stop in Scotland.

Sandra Downie, Dogs Trust Glasgow centre manager, adds: “We were delighted to welcome Willie to the rehoming centre and honoured that he chose Dogs Trust as his first Scottish charity stop off! He has raised an incredible amount of money over the years and it’s wonderful that at the same time he is highlighting the health benefits of owning a dog.”

Dogs Trust is the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, with two rehoming centres in Scotland. Across its network of 17 rehoming centres across the country it cares for 16,000 dogs a year.

For more information on the charity, click on www.dogstrust.org.uk or call 020 7837 0006.

From Tuesday 6 April, new codes come into force which support the Animal Welfare Act 2006, and set out the legal duties of many pet owners.

Following their introduction, the new codes will be used in courts as evidence relating to poor animal welfare.

Animal Welfare Minister Jim Fitzpatrick unveiled the new codes on a visit to a Dogs Trust re-homing centre last Christmas. He said: “We’re a nation of animal lovers, but sadly too many people still don’t know how to look after their pets properly and get things wrong. It’s the animals who suffer as a result.”

Dogs Trust is delighted that the Government has announced a long awaited consultation on measures to tackle the issue of Dangerous Dogs. It has been apparent for many years that the existing Dangerous Dogs Act doesn’t work and that it urgently needs revising to help protect the general public and dog welfare.

Dogs Trust has been lobbying the Government about the benefits of compulsory microchipping for the past twelve months. The charity believes that permanent identification must form a central part of any new dog legislation so it is deeply gratifying that this has been included as part of the consultation. Just a third of dog owners currently have their dog microchipped, but should this become a legal requirement more stray dogs can be reunited with their owners, thus ultimately reducing the 9,000 dogs that are destroyed by Local Authorities every year. A recent survey conducted by Dogs Trust shows that 88% of dog owners would be in favour of such a law.

Similarly compulsory third party insurance is a sensible precaution to protect both human and animal victims of dog attacks. Many household insurance policies will include this as long as the dog is in the insured person’s control at the time. There are also membership schemes such as the one Dogs Trust offers where for just £20 a year, any dog within the household has third party liability insurance up to a million pounds per claim.

There is a real need to extend the existing dangerous dog laws to cover private property as well as public spaces but exemptions will need to be carefully thought through. For example if a dog were to bite an intruder in the home such as a burglar, would their owners be exempt from punishment?

It is really positive to see a joined up approach from Defra and the Home Office in tackling the issue of irresponsible dog ownership. However it is essential that this is regarded as a social rather than a dog issue. It is unacceptable that a young person feels it is necessary to own a dog as a form of protection in order to feel safe on the streets.

In terms of what appears to be missing from the consultation, Dogs Trust would have liked to see the total repeal of all breed specific legislation and more consideration given to the penalties awarded to irresponsible owners including possible custodial sentences. The charity is currently lobbying for the introduction of increased penalties along the lines of dog owner ‘ASBOS’ which firmly place responsibility for the dog’s behaviour on the owner rather than looking at the breed of the dog in question.