A man and woman from Hartlepool have each received a 10-year ban on keeping animals bans after pleading guilty to starving a lurcher, Elsie, for six weeks. Levi Swift and Bethany Greener appeared for sentencing at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on 26 March, where magistrates imposed the disqualifications and fined them both £80. The court heard the pair failed to provide adequate nutrition for Elsie over a period of around six weeks. RSPCA Inspector Claire Wilson said in a statement to the court that she went to Hutton Avenue on December 2023 after a tip-off from a member of the public, alleging ..read more

Catrin George, animal wellbeing specialist at Animal Friends Pet Insurance, shares five mistakes you may be making when it comes to dog road safety… Avoiding high-vis gear Whether you’re out walking on a dark and foggy winter evening or using a crowded pavement on a busy summer’s day, standing out and being seen is vital. No matter the conditions, your dog should be on a lead at all times near a road, but kitting your dog in reflective gear (and making sure you wear some yourself) can also help keep them safe at any time of day or night. Prioritising play over training Every owner knows the im ..read more

Our April issue is out, and just like we used to pass physical magazines to each other, we want to do the same now. Here’s our March issue for you to read! The post Read our March issue for free! appeared first on Dogs Today Magazine ..read more

As Spring blossoms across the UK, thoughts turn to transforming our gardens for the warmer months ahead. With longer days beckoning us outdoors, it’s no surprise that many of us are starting to plan how we’ll transform our outdoor spaces just in time for BBQ season. But for those with pets, it isn’t as simple as purchasing the outdoor plant that you have your heart set on. Kelly Dyer, Plant Doctor and Lead Horticulturalist at Patch Plants said, “It’s really important for pet owners to think about the four-legged friends that share their outdoor space. If you have curious pets who are prone to ..read more

The body of a “very skinny” Jack Russell pup has been found dumped in a carrier bag in South Yorkshire, and the RSPCA is asking for the public’s help to find out what happened to the poor young dog. Inspector Jack Taylor responded to a call from a member of the public yesterday (6 April) after the female dog’s body was found dumped on wasteland in Mexborough. It is believed the pup had been dumped that same day – as the body was dry despite rainfall the night before. The dog was in a blue Poundland carrier bag, on a brownfield site by Pitt Street, towards Windhill Avenue, in the market town. A ..read more

The RSPCA has welcomed calls from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee for an urgent crackdown on dog fertility clinics and poor breeding practices in the UK, as well as “better regulation and licensing in the sector”. In the April 2021 edition of Dogs Today, we wrote about the dramatic increase of unregulated fertility clinics and cautioned our readers against what we dubbed the “DIY brigade” – fertility clinics that routinely break the law by performing procedures, such as drawing blood for progesterone testing, without the supervision of a vet, or teach amateurs t ..read more

The International Collaborative on Extreme Conformations in Dogs (ICECDogs) has published a position paper, heavily informed by research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), that helps owners to recognise good innate health in dogs. The international agreement is the first of its kind and provides a guide for animal caregivers, and the wider public, to identify healthy natural physical characteristics in dogs and to predict and assess potential health and welfare based on body shape. This will help anyone who cares about dogs to understand how likely a dog is to suffer from negative impact ..read more

Four people from Essex, three men and one woman, have been convicted for their involvement in a dog fighting ring which organised fights spanning across England, the Republic of Ireland, and France. Phillip Harris Ali, also known as Dr Death, from Chigwell, was found guilty of multiple offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, including keeping and training dogs for fights. Billy Leadley, alias GSK or Green Street Kennels, from Takeley, admitted to one charge of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog’s injured tail and was found guilty of nine additional offences related to dog fighting. L ..read more

A couple from Merseyside were handed a suspended prison sentence and banned from keeping animals for 20 years after they left their Mastiff dog, Zeus, to starve to death. Stephen O’Donnell and Rachel Foster were sentenced at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on 26 March following an RSPCA investigation which started in July 2023, when the RSPCA received a report of an underweight, collapsed dog in their property’s garden. Animal Rescue Officer (ARO) Hannah Yen, who attended the property, said, “The garden was overgrown and only a small area by the door was accessible. Mr O’Donnell said the dog was ..read more

The RSPCA may be one step closer to achieving statutory powers in Wales, as the newly appointed First Minister, Vaughan Gething MS, made a specific commitment in his leadership manifesto to empower RSPCA officers with “additional enforcement powers”. In 2021, the RSPCA announces its aim to achieve statutory powers in England and Wales for its RSPCA. As things stand, RSPCA inspectors have no powers of entry to homes, gardens, land or vehicles, unless accompanying police on a court warrant. The process of turning to the police so that they can go to court and get a warrant can take days, which t ..read more