Today is the day the 14-year reign of the Conservative Party, under five prime ministers, comes to an end. So much we know. During this time, ‘performative cruelty’ has become politically acceptable in a Western democracy. They starved those most in need – to the point that children in the UK are actually shorter than they were before the Tories came to power, and Victorian diseases such as rickets and scurvies are back – and relentlessly kicking down and bowing up.   You’ve seen all the statistics about how austerity caused the UK to grow less than other economies; you know about the shi ..read more

Emma Brindley and her partner, Jonny, travelled to Morocco to compete in sporting events. But on the shores of Lalla Takerkoust, they found a whole different kind of adventure. Emma tells how she ended up adopting from Morocco   The little dog followed us along the sandy alley, its paws making a pitter-patter sound on the dry gravel underfoot. “Good boy. Are you coming with us? You’re beautiful!”   The path widened to the lake, a brilliant shimmering blue, expansive and welcoming before us. Just us and the little dog. We asked: “Are you coming to the lake?” It was beautifully silent ..read more

What do Russian invaders, rockets, rabies and cancer have in common? They do not discriminate by age, gender, or profession. A new documentary called War Tails follows the Ukraine War Animal Relief Fund on their frontline work. War Tails volunteer Selena Caamano tells the story   Desperate pleas to evacuate animals from north-eastern Ukraine overwhelm Animal Rescue Hotlines. Attack drones, heavy artillery and lethal glide bombs indiscriminately target and obliterate homes, small-holdings, farms, and riding stables in the Kharkiv region.   Dan with clinic volunteers in Ukraine In Ukr ..read more

On 4 July, the UK has the opportunity to vote for its next prime minister – the first time since 2019, despite enduring a total of three PMs since then.  While Wunderdog is not pretending that dog welfare is more important than war and peace, the economy and health, education and business, I ask you to take one minute today and ask: “But what about our dogs?” Dogs are our best friends, and 13 million live with us in the UK. Around one in three households are blessed with a dog, and animal welfare ranks as a top 5 concern for British voters.  I have set out the case for why need to s ..read more

The Pack Project is one of Wunderdog’s favourite charities. Founded by marketing pro and photographer Laura Walker, her small team rehome dogs from Romania to the UK. Together with volunteer behaviourists and the adoption team, The Pack Project is vigorous in matching dog and adopter to ensure everyone is happy. There are no pre-set adoption criteria, and applications are individually reviewed on merit.   So, please check your couch to see if there’s space for one of these adorable puppies.   Name: Goldie Sex: Male Litter: Wunderpups DOB – 25/12/2023 Expected adult weight: 25-35kg ..read more

Every year, artist and designer Joanna Osborne opens her beautiful home in Brighton to art and dog lovers. She writes for Wunderdog about what her show represents and how far it has come   Every other year, I organise The Dog Show, exhibiting over 200 pieces of dog art by about 14 artists. The show grew out of my long-term friendship with Sally Muir and our mutual love of dogs, a constant throughout our lives. She and I have been partners in our knitwear business for over 40 years. Dogs were the inspiration for our series of knitting books, Best in Show; now Sally has become a successful ..read more

Dr David Harris BVSc PGCert FHEA MRCVS is a vet and head of veterinary content at VetHelpDirect.com, and is in charge of the website’s UK Vet Price Comparison service, part of the Vet Practice Directory. VetHelpDirect also allows pet guardians to leave a review of any UK veterinary practice, and provides information and symptom guides to help guardians decide when a vet visit is necessary   If you’ve been paying attention to the news recently, you’ll be aware that the big animal story on Tuesday was the long-awaited publication of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) report into v ..read more

We’ve done it! We launched The Dog Manifesto from issue 8 as a standalone website and podcast. This is our press release   April 11, 2024, London. Wunderdog, the independent magazine for rescue dogs and their people, today launches The Dog Manifesto podcast. The Dog Manifesto is a campaign to improve the lives of dogs in the UK. It combines existing demands with new ideas for a better human-canine relationship. Split into two sections – protect all dogs and regulate the humans – the manifesto is evolving to build a strong case for a coordinated government policy to tackle the many issues ..read more

I haven’t written much about the XL bully ban. I wrote on it in the latest issue of Wunderdog, about how it’s jolly convenient to bash a dog breed while the NHS crumbles, Brexit is a certified disaster, the economy is stagnating, and immigration sky-high despite all the rhetoric to the contrary. In a way, the XL bully has become another refugee – a voiceless red herring to distract from the real issues the UK faces.    I put a much-shared post on Instagram calling the Tories the real XL bullies. I stand by it. The rushed ban of a type of dog – not even a definable breed – was a kneej ..read more

This week, the South Korean parliament passed a bill to phase out the dog meat trade by 2027, which presents a monumental victory for animal rights groups that have worked to end this barbaric trade. Humane Society International began campaigning to end the dog meat trade in South Korea in 2015, and director of international media Wendy Higgins was there from the start. She writes for Wunderdog about what this week’s announcement means to her   There are so many different emotions I feel about the dog meat industry in South Korea. Disgust and sadness, obviously. I’ve been to factory farms ..read more