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Various campaigns are currently underway to warn dog owners of the dangers of leaving their animals in the car during these hot months, including ones launched by the RSPCA, Scottish SPCA and the Kennel Club.
Following the latest news published in the Vet Record concerning guide dog attacks, Pete Wedderburn has written a piece entitled 'Bull terriers might attack guide dogs - but aggression towards humans is a different matter'. Despite the fact much of the media has focused heavily on what the study has shown about bull breeds, Pete writes: "The key fact that's often forgotten is that there is no link between aggression to other dogs and aggression to humans. It's easy to stereotype bull breeds as aggressive, snarling, salivating monsters. The fact is that they're often highly sociable with humans." He ends his piece with an important point: "All dogs - regardless of breed - need to be kept under effective control by their owners. The responsibility lies with humans: there's no point whatsoever in trying to vilify the animals." To read more about the article published in the Vet Record, please click here.
Foreign bodies may be a common problem that veterinary practices deal with but it doesn't stop them reaching the national news every so often. The BBC and many national newspapers have run articles about the latest: 'Dog from Cambridgeshire swallows five toy cats'.
Horse and Hound has recently published an article online with the headline: 'Work starts on vaccine for African Horse Sickness'. According to this, an affordable vaccine against AHS could soon be made more available.
The Telegraph has recently published an article entitled: 'Sniffer dogs used to track down bootleg DVDs for first time'. According to this: "Trading Standards officers will use the dogs to sniff out discs from people suspected of carrying counterfeit goods."
As The Independent writes: "Summer will see thousands of travellers taking to the skies and roads with their beloved pets, with a recent survey of pet owners suggesting that 61 percent of pet owners take their pet further than 80 km at least once a year." To help pet owners going abroad over, it has published 'Travelling with pets this summer? A handy guide' online.
In his latest blog, Pete Wedderburn explores: 'Why we should all worry about cruelty to animals'. In this piece he looks at recent research that suggests that humans can be affected by animal cruelty in two main ways. Pete writes: "Firstly, it's been proven that there's a link between animal abuse and physical abuse of other humans in the same household: in one study of shelters for victims of domestic violence and child abuse, more than 85 percent of those interviewed reported incidents of animal abuse.". Further to this, "the second way that animal cruelty has serious consequences for humans is a phenomenon known as the "erosion of empathy"...Cruelty to animals is the first step; once this moral hurdle has been stepped over, it's much easier to be cruel to humans."
The Telegraph Online has reported that "Petting zoos under threat following health inquiry". This piece states that" "The investigation into the dangers posed by petting animals is expected to lead to strict new measures this week. Farmers could have to stop opening their gates to the public amid increased regulations that could include demanding that people no longer touch the animals."
The Daily Mail has reported a new craze in pet ownership - Sphynx cats. Running with the headline: 'Sphynx cats fetch up to 3,000 as the latest must-have pet' the article reports that this breed of cat becomes more and more common, stating that "They are perfect for asthma sufferers or those who are sick of cleaning fur from their furniture."
A blog by Pete Wedderburn published online on the Telegraph's website asks: 'Who's smarter? Dog, wolf or researcher?' The first paragraph explains what the piece is about: "The latest research from Australia on animal intelligence has come up with a headline-making conclusion: "Dogs are too reliant on humans to think for themselves". Apparently the study showed that pet dogs failed basic intelligence tests that wolves and wild dogs passed with ease. The suggestion has been made that "years of domestication have robbed the animals of the problem solving skills of their ancestors".
The Telegraph Online has recently ran a piece entitled: 'Dog owners banned from using long leads'. According to the article: "Bosses at Tameside council, in Greater Manchester, say they have brought in the measure to reduce dog fouling. The council says owners are more likely to clean up after their pets if they are on a short lead." However, this move does not seem to have been welcomed by dog owners and animal charities.
