The DogCast Radio blog

Believe it or not there are people in my life who don't like my dogs.

What do you do when you want to eat out with your dogs? We are often out and about with Buddy and Star when we want to grab a bite to eat. Far too often the cafe or shop we buy from will not allow dogs. I was surprised to discover that, in the UK at least, there is no law banning dogs from venues that serve food. There is legislation banning dogs from food preparation areas, that's all. So why do so many places ban dogs? It's annoying to say the least.

The few places we have found that welcome our dogs we return to again and again, and recommend them to other dog owners.

Dogs Trust has a new offer out. Dogs Trust promise to never put a healthy dog down, and I have seen firsthand the lengths they will go to not only to find dogs a new home, but to enhance the lives of those they look after long term.

Here's the offer:

Are you or someone you know a pet owner? Becoming a member of Dogs Trust means you'll get all these great benefits for just £20 a year (or only £10 if you are aged 60 or over).

Apparently Training dogs the Woodhouse Way 'makes them more aggressive'. Researchers at the University of Bristol have studied dogs at a Dogs Trust centre and re-examined footage of wild dog behaviour. They have found that heavy handed treatment of dogs leads the dogs in turn to become aggressive to avoid that treatment.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Kate Nicholas this week. Kate and her gorgeous dog Gin were thrown into the spotlight when they made it to the finals of Britain's Got Talent. Since then their popularity has grown, and Kate and Gin have continued to develop as a partnership. They delight crowds with their displays of doggy dancing, and Gin is a whiz at flyball.

So when the time came to add another member to their pack, how did Kate go about it? And how has the newcomer - Ice - settled in? You can hear Kate answering those questions and more in this weekend's

If you're in the UK on June 30th why not go along to the Macmillan Dog Day at the Royal Chelsea Gardens in London?

Here's more information:

Join Equafleece at the Macmillan Dog Day and help raise funds for cancer care

Equafleece, the outdoor clothing specialists for dogs and their owners, will be presenting Macmillan Cancer Support with a cheque at the charity's 2009 fundraising Dog Day.

Here's the latest news from CAPS:

 
Elite Animals of West Hollywood Meet with Animal Protection Movement Leaders at City Hall

Companion Animal Protection Society's Along with Animal Activists Believe that Elite Animals is Selling Pet Factory Animals and Defrauding Consumers

I blogged yesterday about the great success the amazing SOFA Club is having with their campaign to have microchipping made a legal requirement in the UK. I thought it was really positive news, so I was surprised to receive the following tweet from

BethanneElion "This is terrible news. Microchips proven to cause cancerous tumors on site. They should be banned."

Here's the latest news from SOFA (speaking Out For Animals) that intrepid and charming group of youngsters and their indefatigable teacher who are campaigning to have microchipping of dogs made a legal requirement. Seems like they are well on the way - and the best of luck to them!

If you're a UK resident please follow the link below to help support the campaign:

Dear Supporters,
Thank you for your support of SOFA's microchipping campaign; we do really appreciate it.

We've had another example of how dangerous trying to save our dogs can be. It seems our protective side kicks in and we don't think of our own safety. Last week we had the incredibly sad news of the couple following their dogs into a swollen river to rescue their dogs, with neither humans or dogs surviving. This week we have the equally sad news of a mother-of-three and the sister-in-law of comedian Ruby Wax dying while trying to get her dogs away from a train track.