The DogCast Radio blog

I’ve been very busy recently recording interviews for future shows, and one that sticks in my mind is one with Margaret Flack. Margaret, with the Kennel Club and the UK dog newspaper Our Dogs, is mounting a campaign to stamp out puppy farms, dog dealing and dog smuggling in the UK. I hope she is successful, and so should each and every dog lover in the UK - and beyond.

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I've just come across the Animal Saviours website, who have an onine petition to stop animal suffering in China. Live animals are being skinned for their fur in China. If you would like to stop that, please visit the site and sign the petition at the site www.animalsaviors.org/index.html

Be warned that the video and some of the still images on the site are distressing. But think of your own dog - or cat - and imagine them caught in that nightmare situation.

The site proclaims, "Only animals should wear fur" and I wholeheartedly agree - do you?

Take care,

Julie x

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We have a lot of photos uploaded to our breed profile pages, but this one recently caught my eye. It’s Springer Spaniel Willie Nelson Jennings. It’s not only a beautifully composed photo, but I love the dog’s expression. He looks so wonderfully serious, yet you know probably a split second after the camera clicked he was bounding off to have more silly Springer fun.

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I’m interviewing Cynthia Miller next week about her positive approach to rescue dogs. Cynthia has two beautiful rescue dogs of her own, Malteses Lulu and Lolly. Cynthia decided that people need to adjust the way they think about rescue dogs, and to that end Cynthia, Lulu and Lolly have released a music video called Rescue Dog Rock.

It’s a refreshing change to see rescue dogs portrayed in a way that makes you think, “Hey, I want one of those!” rather than making you feel sorry for dogs cast in the role of victim.

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This sign at a local Forestry Commission site always makes me smile. I carry a supply of poo bags with me on every dog walk, and conscientiously bag it and bin it. However, the Forestry Commission here asks dog owners to stick and flick it.

This requires owners to simply pick up a stick and flick the poo off the path, and hopefully means that main paths are poo-free. That’s fine with me, and in the main it seems to work no worse than other locations that require owners to scoop the poop.

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The Kennel Club has at last reacted really well to the furore created by the Pedigree Dogs Exposed Documentary, with this announcement “Kennel Club to Clamp Down on Breeders to Safeguard Health of Pedigree Dogs”. (www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/2089/23/5/3)

The firs new standard is for the Pekingese, and demands the breed has a muzzle rather than a completely flat face. (www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/196)

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Buddy and I entered a heelwork to music competition at a companion dog show recently. I was thrilled – but nervous - to learn that Kate Nicholas, of Kate and Gin, would be judging the competition. They would also be putting on a display of their own doggy dancing too, and I was greatly looking forward to that.

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I've just checked out Beverley Cuddy's blog and found a request to let as many people know as possible about the petition she has organised on the Prime Minister's website.

Irrespective of any “politics” involved, it does seem to me that the petition makes sense. Whatever the true figure is, dogs are suffering and bad breeding practice is going on. The Kennel Club has repeatedly pointed out that they lack any legal power to enforce health tests. This petition sets out to give them that power.

Below you will find a message from Beverley along with where to sign the petition.

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If in the wake of the BBC documentary Pedigree Dogs Exposed, you would like to express your desire to see change at the British Kennel Clubs, there are a number of petitions you could sign.

Vet Joe Inglis has set up a petition here www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=4262 the aim of which is that “The Kennel Club will ban extreme inbreeding such as brother to sister matings, and enforce strict codes of conduct for all breeds, to ensure animal welfare is the number one priority.”

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We have just enjoyed a weekend with Ted Kerasote, author of Merle’s Door. I have mentioned Ted and his wonderful book before in this blog www.dogcastradio.com/blog/4556_if_you_go_down_to_the_woods_today.htm but I make no apology for mentioning it again.

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