A man from Hemel Hempstead has been disqualified from keeping dogs for two years after nine tiny poorly puppies were found in the boot of his car.

Simon McDonagh (date of birth 26.05.85) of Three Cherry Trees Traveller Site, appeared at Stevenage Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Thursday 12 March) for sentencing.

Her Majesty The Queen will visit Battersea Dogs & Cats Home on Tuesday 17 March to officially open the charity’s new state-of-the art kennels. The £4.8m new kennel development will provide a welcome home to lost, abandoned, or unwanted new arrivals at the world-famous rescue centre.

The Queen has been the Patron of Battersea since 1956 and accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, Her Majesty will be shown how the new canine facilities will play a vital role in supporting the dogs during their early days at Battersea, improving and speeding up their journey towards a loving new home.

New animal calendars will promote values of the RSPCA and raise funds for the charity.

Leading UK animal welfare charity, the RSPCA, and the UK’s largest calendar publisher and distributor, Carousel Calendars, announce that they are creating a new range of products for 2016.

The new range, which will feature a total of six calendars, covers a variety of popular pets and wild animals. The selection of domestic animal calendars includes ‘I Love Kittens’ and ‘I Love Puppies’ slim calendars and a ‘Lovable Pets’ wall calendar.

RSPCA appeal for information after a Jack Russell and a severely emaciated Lurcher are found straying in Dorset village

An emaciated lurcher that was days away from death has been found wandering the streets of a Dorset village along with a Jack Russell.
A member of the public found the two dogs straying in the wooded area at the rear of houses on Burnt House Lane, Bransgore on February 22.

Neither of the dogs were micro chipped nor wearing a collar and tag and it’s not known if they were previously together or found each other while straying.

April 23 is the second annual National Lost Dog Awareness Day. Shelters and rescues across the United States use this day to bring attention to the many dogs in their care who have family looking for them. We live in a world where people sometimes assume the dogs they find are unwanted. Lost Dog Awareness Day has the stats to prove them wrong.

2015 marks the second annual RSPCA Ruffs, the charity’s alternative online dog show which challenges the ideals of beauty pageant style dog shows. Unlike Crufts which judges dogs primarily on looks which can cause suffering, Ruffs is a true celebration of dogs.
Ruffs doesn’t care what a dog looks like, what shape, size or colour they are - there are no ‘standards’ to be met, it just cares whether dogs are healthy, happy and above all loved.

With eight weeks to go before the country goes to the polls, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home has launched its first ever Manifesto as the countdown to the 2015 General Election begins.

The Manifesto, which is designed as an informative political wall calendar featuring Battersea’s canine and feline friends, has been sent to MPs and Prospective Parliamentary Candidates in every constituency of the UK. It aims to guide MPs in the next Parliament through the year, with Battersea’s animals highlighting key welfare issues, which need political support in addressing.

The Animal Health Trust (AHT) has successfully fulfilled its commitment to the Kennel Club and repaid, on time, an interest-free £1.5 million loan in full. The loan was given to the AHT in 2011 to help build the pioneering Kennel Club Cancer Centre at the AHT, designed to treat dogs, cats and horses. The loan significantly accelerated the build and development time of the centre which was officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal in November 2012, just one year after the loan was received.

One of the Queen’s favourite breeds of dog, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, is at risk of
disappearing from our streets and parks after being listed as a vulnerable dog breed
by the Kennel Club for the first time in the breed’s history.

In 2014 the Pembroke Welsh Corgi numbered just 274 registrations with the Kennel
Club, 16 percent lower than in 2013. The breed has been steadily declining since its
peak in 1960, when almost 9,000 dogs were registered. In the last ten years the
numbers have continued to decline with there being almost double the number of the

Two dogs at the Brands Hatch site of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home are celebrating their anniversary of being in kennels – with an appeal for the right person to come forward and give them each a new home.

Four-and-a-half year old Jack Russell Jake was brought to Battersea in October, five months ago, by his owner who couldn’t look after him anymore. Jake is a lively and spirited little dog who will need an owner with a calm household and willingness to work on Jake’s behaviour.