Puppy Farm Awareness Day 2010
Our brilliant helpers have come out in force for Puppy Farm Awareness Day 19th Sept 2010 and our very informative leaflets will be handed out at dog events nationwide on the day.
So far we will be represented in Dorchester, Leeds, Essex, Cheshire, Devon, Co Durham, Scotland, Sussex, Wales and Liverpool.
If you are going to an event on the 19th Sept and would like leaflets just email us with your address and we will get some in the post for you. Help us spread the word far and wide.
Thank You!
Leeds Loves Puppies - A Charity Pot Party
On the 31st July 2010 Puppy Love were invited to attend the Lush shop in Leeds where staff held an event to raise more awareness and funds to help the sad plight of puppy farm dogs.
A great day was had by all, many leaflets and information sheets were distributed and quite a few customers who had not been aware of puppy farms or thought they were illegal, left the shop fully aware of this despicable trade.
A big thank you to Laura and staff at Lush Leeds shop for all the hard work publicizing this event and for helping us raise more awareness. Special thanks also for the wonderful Puppy Love window display.
Sincere thanks also to members of Puppy love who attended this event.
Click image to see it full size.
Puppy Love welcome the Welsh Assembly's decision to review the way dogs are bred in Wales. We hope this will become law without too much delay.
New Welfare Standards for Dog Breeding in Wales.
Wales' Rural Affairs Minister, Elin Jones, has announced her intention to introduce new legislation which will significantly enhance animal welfare in Wales. Wednesday 07 July 2010
The new legislation, which will replace the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973 with Wales-specific regulations that are fit for purpose will be based on proposals made by an expert Task and Finish group which was commissioned by the Rural Affairs Minister to review the legislation on the breeding of dogs to reflect the five welfare needs identified in the Animal Welfare Act 2006. She asked the group to report to her by the end of June 2010. The five welfare needs included in the Animal Welfare Act 2006 are that animals should:
- have a suitable environment
- have a suitable diet
- have the ability to exhibit normal behaviour patterns
- be housed separately or together with other animals
- be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
The report, which the Minister has accepted, makes three broad recommendations. First, that there should be legislative change for dog breeding by repealing existing statutory requirements and to provide new legislation; second, that changes to the licensing provision for dog breeding establishments should be made; and Third, that statutory guidance on the new legislation should be made.
Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones said: "Pets are an important element of our society and ownership gives much pleasure, as well as associated responsibilities." The devolution of animal welfare powers to Welsh Ministers under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 has provided opportunities for us to make a real difference. It's about improving standards and preventing suffering - prevention is better than cure, which is a principle of our overarching Animal Health and Welfare Strategy. "We have already made legislation on electronic shock collars and tail docking of dogs and Codes of Practice for dogs, cats, equine's and rabbits. The CAWES (Companion Animal Welfare Enhancement Scheme) programme has supported and is continuing to support evidence based decisions. Part of that process is to work with the third sector to raise standards." The Minister announced that licensing conditions for dog breeding establishments will be redrafted to reflect the five welfare needs. To help achieve this, the report recommended that a maximum number of dogs should be kept per full time attendant.
The Minister added: "If the breeding establishment is to meet the welfare and socialisation needs of dogs and puppies it was considered that, at the outside, a maximum ratio of one full time attendant to 20 dogs should be imposed. "I am keen to emphasise, however, that where welfare requirements are fully met, it is a legitimate business and meets the demands of those wishing to buy pets. "What is unacceptable is large scale breeding of puppies where welfare of both the parents and offspring may be compromised. Evidence submitted to the Welsh Assembly Government in research undertaken by local authorities, representations from many welfare bodies and several television programmes, all identified room for improvement for animal welfare in existing dog breeding licensing conditions.
"The group also considered the qualifying criteria for licensing. They agreed that existing criteria needed tightening particularly reducing the number of breeding bitches to trigger licensing to three from the current "five or more litters."
Other changes will include the compulsory microchipping of all breeding dogs in licensed premises as well as the microchipping of all pups from these premises prior to sale or homing. This would provide clear traceability back to the breeder in case of health or welfare concerns. It is proposed that statutory guidance will incorporate the five "needs” of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. This will give a clear direction to Welsh local authorities and to dog breeders to enable compliance with the licensing requirements. Consideration will need to be given at a later stage as to whether the Code of Practice on the Welfare of Dogs will need to be expanded to include more detail on dog breeding.
The Minister concluded: "My role is to ensure that animal welfare is being promoted and animals protected without placing unnecessary burdens on the breeders or purchasers of dogs.”The new legislation will be fully consulted on during a 12 week period.
Support for Puppy Love grows in Wales! 16th May 2010
This weekend members of Puppy Love ran two information stalls in Wales; in Porthcawl and Carmarthen. Both stalls received an over whelming level of support from local people. In Porthcawl concerned members of the public handed over donations to the cause and signed over 100 letters to urge local authorities to take action on puppy farming.
People in Carmarthen also wholeheartedly supported Puppy Love's campaign. A number of people shared their own stories about puppy farms they knew of, dogs they had rescued and frustration with the council and RSPCA for not taking the action needed to stop the suffering of puppy farm dogs. Local shops offered their help and three pages of the petition, which urges Carmarthenshire council to stop the illegal practices of puppy farmers, was signed - all by Carmarthenshire residents, including a town councillor.
It's clear that there is a growing mass of people in Wales who are appalled by the puppy farmers who have brought shame on the country by making it well-known as a puppy farming hot spot. More importantly, people are now more than willing to make their voices heard. Puppy Love would like to thank the good people of Wales for their support.
If you would like to organise an information stall or join a demonstration near you, please get in touch or chat to members on the forum.
On Thursday April 1st 2010 in pouring rain and freezing temperatures,over 40 members and supporters of Puppy Love, gathered outside the offices of Carmarthenshire County Council. Armed with banners, posters and their own, furry, two-legged "puppy farm" dogs, Puppy Love handed out leaflets, aiming to raise awareness. The Welsh Assembly tell us changes are on the way,Puppy Love are not convinced,we will wait and see.
This protest could not have happened without Puppy Love Member, Gaynor, who arranged the protest, even hiring a coach from her home town of Bridgend to bring Welsh citizens to the door of the offending council.
Jan Gilmour, a staunch Puppy Love member came all the way from Scotland to attend the protest and to personally hand into the council an updated copy of the petition she originally started in 2008. The petition calls for Carmarthen council to implement the Animal Welfare act.
This year Puppy Love held our very first Puppy Farm Awareness Day on 19th September 2009.
Saturday 19th Sept saw us making an effort to raise awareness for puppy farm dogs throughout the UK. The day went very well and hopefully a few more people will now be aware just how these poor dogs caged in breeding establishments suffer so that the general public can buy a cute off the shelf puppy! Perhaps now they may spare a thought for the dams and sires locked in misery to supply this nation of dogs lovers? with pups.
We held a protest in Leeds outside a pet shop selling sick puppy farmed pups and also handed out leaflets and flyers in the shopping center. We were succesful in turning two potential buyers away as once we explained where pups came from they wanted no part in the cruel trade.
Two of our members also had an information board at Pets At Home in Wrexham and were able to inform local people of the situation.
In Kent meanwhile a protest and information day was taking place outside a pet shop selling pups and again potentail buyers changed their minds about buying a puppy.
Puppy Love would like to say a big THANK YOU to all who took part, you really are special people. Next year we will do it all again if there is still the need. Never give up, never give in... ONE DAY... ONE VOICE... BAN PUPPY FARMING !!
Jan made this information board for Pets At Home in Falkirk and spent hours on duty answering questions for the public.
On the 29th March we staged our third protest outside Dogs4us in Leeds.
Once again we managed to make people aware that sick pups were being sold from this store and that most pups come from Welsh puppy farms.
We are pleased to say we turned 3 potential buyers away.
A Leeds councilor came to chat to us and has promised he will look into the sorry state of affairs taking place in his constituancy.
Please join us in our next protest, details on the forum.
You can make a difference....every voice counts.
