10
| PET GAZETTE | TRADE TALK
PET GAZETTE |
11
PENALTIES
GOVERNMENT ADMITS NEED FOR
TOUGHER CRUELTY PENALTIES
The Government has acknowledged that the
current punishments for the most shocking
animal cruelty offences are inadequate and
now require “the full force of the law”.
The Secretary of State for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs, the Rt. Hon. Michael
Gove MP, stated in the House of Commons
on Thursday and reiterated in a speech on
Friday that the current penalties for such
offences are not strong enough.
Admitting this is an issue he feels strongly
about, Michael Gove said: “I am not someone
who will automatically reach for stronger
criminal sanctions as the only route to
dealing with a particular problem, but there
are particular cases of animal cruelty where
we may well need to revisit the existing
criminal sanctions
in order to ensure
that the very worst
behaviour is dealt with,
with the full force of
the law.”
Commenting
on the Secretary
of State’s speech,
Battersea’s chief executive, Claire Horton,
said: “Battersea welcome’s the Government’s
apparent change of heart on this vital
welfare issue and it’s very encouraging to
see Mr Gove acknowledge that some of the
sickening animal cruelty cases that pass
through our courts are not being properly
punished, offering no deterrent for serious
offenders. Battersea wants the maximum
sentence to be increased to five years.
“It’s heartwarming to note that the
Secretary of State feels strongly about such
cruelty to animals and we have invited Mr
Gove to visit Battersea to see first-hand
some of the animals in our care who are
the innocent victims of such abuse and
cruelty.”
CHARITY
BURNS BANS RAW FOOD FOR VOLUNTEER DOGS
A charitable scheme that sends dogs into
schools to help children read has banned the
use of animals fed a raw meat-based diet amid
concerns they may carry dangerous bacteria.
The popularity of the raw meat-based
diet, which comprises mainly raw meat,
bones, fruit and vegetables, is growing.
The Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association
now has a dedicated group for commercial
raw producers.
Burns by Your Side is a specially developed
reading-to-dogs scheme, which uses trained
volunteers and their companion dogs to
help children improve their reading skills
and communicate more confidently.
It is managed by the Burns Pet Nutrition
Foundation, the charitable arm of Burns Pet
Nutrition. The organisers of Burns by Your
Side have said they must put the safety and
health of the children first and on that basis,
dogs fed a raw meat-based diet will no longer
be allowed to participate in the scheme.
Carol Lincoln, manager of the Burns
by Your Side scheme, said: “There is now
a substantial body of evidence that raw
feeding meat and other raw animal products
poses health risks, not just to the pet itself
but to humans who come into contact
with the pet. Raw meat, whether intended
for consumption by humans or pets, is
frequently contaminated by microorganisms
including E. Coli and Salmonella.
“Trials have shown that dogs which
eat raw animal products, even if they do
not show signs of disease, can become
carriers and shed these bacteria into the
environment. This poses a risk to the
health of susceptible humans, particularly
young people, the elderly and those with
compromised immune systems. The fact is
we have a responsibility to ensure the dogs
we are sending into work with children are
healthy and safe. On that basis, we have
taken the decision to not allow dogs on a
raw meat-based diet to participate.”
CHARITY
RESEARCH FINDS THAT PETS BRING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER
An international study has been conducted
by the University of Western Australia in
collaboration with the WALTHAM Centre
for Pet Nutrition, part of Mars Petcare.
It surveyed over 2,500 pet and non-pet
owners across the world. It found that pet
owners feel more strongly tied to their
communities and are more helpful, friendly
and trusting of each other.
Dr Sandra McCune, scientific leader for
human-animal interaction at the WALTHAM
Centre said: “We’ve always known that pets
www.petgazette.biz
help us to meet other people, break the ice
and are often a topic of conversation over the
garden fence. This study proves the added
benefits that pet owners feel more part of a
community and are better neighbours."
In Melton Mowbray, Mars Petcare has
created a new dog walking trail in Melton
Country Park. The town celebrated the
opening with a huge community dog walk
in partnership with dog sharing community
BorrowMyDoggy – an opportunity for local
dogs and their owners to make new friends.
Melton Mowbray aims to be officially
recognised by the Dog Friendly Awards
as a pet friendly town and is encouraging
both local residents and those farther afield
to vote.
August 2017
www.petgazette.biz
August 2017