The DogCast Radio blog

Animal charity Battersea Dogs & Cats Home has seen a 40 per cent rise in the number of Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian Huskies being dumped and abandoned at its doors, and the charity is concerned these working breeds are becoming the next must-have ‘status’ dogs in inner city areas.

Huskies and Malamutes are known for running over long distances, and the Home believes people are taking on these dogs with little understanding of their needs or welfare. Already this year Battersea has taken in over 60 Huskies and Malamutes which have either strayed from their homes or been given up by their owners. These include Honey a Malamute who arrived at Battersea earlier this year and severely overweight because her owners could no longer cope and current resident Colleen, a Siberian Husky who arrived at the

An elderly pooch from east London struck up quite a friendship with comedian and presenter Paul O’ Grady during the filming of a new ITV1 series on Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

Eight year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross Marcel arrived at the world famous rescue Battersea as a stray in November 2011. His roguish antics and cheeky charm won him a legion of fans at the Home and he even had his own Facebook page updating his followers on his daily goings about the Home. In the new ITV1 series viewers will see Marcel entertaining presenter Paul O’ Grady and accompanying him on a visit to the Royal

First Ever National Dinner Party Just One Month Away

Nationwide initiative to raise funds for Hounds for Heroes spearheaded by a man on a mission

London (UK), 16 August 2012: The first ever Dogs Dinner – a nationwide initiative to raise funds for Hounds for Heroes – is fast approaching.

Scope for improvement

As the changes to the sentencing guidelines have come into effect Dogs Trust commends the tougher revisions, but would welcome radical changes to existing legislation that better protect the public and welfare of dogs. Whilst the new guidelines will encourage courts to focus on the key factors of culpability, the charity hopes they will act as a salient reminder to dog owners of their responsibility. 

Says Clarissa Baldwin, Dogs Trust Chief Executive:

THE ‘PAWFECT’ TRAINING
Team GB Paralympic swimmer Emma Hollis visits Dogs Trust Loughborough

On Friday 17th August, Team GB Paralympic swimmer Emma Hollis took a break from her training for the games to visit the Wymeswold-based rehoming centre. Whilst there she met dogs of all shapes and sizes including Bess the seven year-old Lurcher who she took a particular shine too.

Says Emma:

"Is it wrong to mourn a dog?" was the question I was asked onto the Tony Livesey show on Radio 5 Live to discuss yesterday. Of course my answer to that question is, "No."

It's not anywhere near Christmas, but the weather outside is frightful. Here's some timely advice from Dogs Trust:
 
ADVICE FOR PET OWNERS DURING THE SEVERE WEATHER RAINFALL ALERT
 
With the Met Office issuing severe weather rainfall alerts for tomorrow until the weekend, Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, has produced the following advice for anyone with concerns relating to the safety of pets at this time:

Are you aware of the RSPCA's Born to Suffer campaign (which aims to improve the health and welfare of pedigree dogs)? Since they launched the campaign at the end of December last year, more than 16,000 people have signed the petition calling for pedigree dog breed standards to be reviewed and put health and welfare above looks.

Their plan is to present the final petition numbers to the Kennel Club as a demonstration of the scale of public support for a review of the breed standards. You can find out more about the campaign here:

The case of Lennox the dog who was taken into custody by Belfast City Council in May 2010 has finally been settled. A judge has decided that the dog must be put to sleep - and this time there can be no appeal.

It is a case that has rumbled on for more than two years, outraging dog lovers, and building momentum as it continued. Lennox's owner Caroline Barnes can at least content herself with the knowledge that she fought tooth and nail for her beloved dog, appealing again and again in the hope of saving his life. I would like to think that in the same situation I would have found the strength to do the same. You can read more about Caroline and Lennox's story in a previous blog post.

Whatever the wrongs and rights of the case - and there seem to be several discrepancies about the way Lennox was initially assessed and taken - at the heart of this case is a tragedy, because for over two years Lennox has been imprisoned, isolated and kept in conditions that no dog should have to endure. And all that time his family loved him, and fought to be reunited with him. No dog - and no dog owners - should be put through that.

If his family is still kept apart from him as his life is brought to an end, I do hope that some kind soul rests a tender hand on his head, and whispers a loving word in his ear. But I doubt it.

The other hard fact is that there are dogs like Lennox all over the UK; imprisoned awaiting their fate. Let's not forget them - so if Lennox's story touched your heart, find a dog like him in your area and lend them your support.

R.I.P. Lennox - run free.

Guide Dogs for the Blind have today revealed that a shockingly high number of their dogs are attacked: