BRITAIN - A NATION OF DOG KILLERS- national press release from South West Animal Protection

Animal lovers across the UK will have watched the recent disturbing BBC
Panorama programme 'Britain's Unwanted Pets' broadcast on Monday 2nd August.
The programme exposed the shocking truth concerning the vast numbers of
unwanted dogs in Britain today.

As a national voluntary animal protection group based in the South West of
England, South West Animal Protection (SWAP) and countless numbers of rescue
organizations, charities and independent rescue workers across the UK, face
this grim reality every day.

The members of the SWAP team regularly compile and distribute emergency
email appeals for dogs on death row across the UK. They give their own
account of the dire situation:

The computer goes on, the emails download and already there are four appeals
for dogs on death row, fourteen dogs in total, thirteen of which are
Staffordshire Bull Terriers commonly referred to as 'Staffies'. These
desperate dogs are only days away from death, often perfectly healthy,
friendly, loving little beings who for one reason or another have ended up
in a dog pound, abandoned or discarded by their owners. Now in their last
few living hours all they can do is await their fate, will they be saved, or
will their anxious barks be silenced, their wagging tails be stilled by the
harrowing lethal injection?

With not a moment to lose, we immediately set to work, piecing together a
special email appeal for the first group of dogs. The details of each
individual have been listed, now we insert the photos, this is always the
most emotionally challenging task, the desperate faces haunt you, their
begging, mournful eyes staring back at you from the computer screen almost
piercing your heart, each face crying out "please don't let me die!"

Eleven of the fourteen dogs are less than three and a half years old, one of
these being a six to nine month old pup.

The appeal will go out across the network to our supporters in the UK, a
number of these being rescue centres or independent rescue workers. All we
can do now is anxiously await the response.

The lives of these fourteen dogs are now depending on the efforts of the
animal lovers across the country receiving our appeals. There are so many
caring hard-working individuals who endeavour to save dogs like these every
day, many of these 'unsung heroes' have full-time jobs and dedicate the few
spare hours they have voluntarily, rescuing and transporting unwanted dogs
from pounds to a safe haven, some will even place dogs in private kennels
and pay the boarding fees out of their own pockets if this means keeping the
dogs alive, often putting themselves in debt.

Dedicated rescue charities and organizations are working tirelessly on a
daily basis to prevent unwanted dogs from being killed. 'Doris Banham Dog
Rescue' (Registered Charity: 1103372, Website: www.dogsos.co.uk ) is one
such amazing charity and was featured in the recent Panorama programme.

We have put out many appeals over the past three years on behalf of Doris
Banham for some of the many thousands of dogs they have painstakingly saved
from death row. The team at Doris Banham do incredible work for dogs in dog
pounds that face imminent death.

Paul N Davis, Trustee for Doris Banham describes the work that they do, "In
the last 4 years Doris Banham Dog Rescue have saved over 10,000 dogs from
being put to sleep in dog council pounds in the UK. These dogs were rehomed
direct by their Charity or placed by them into other approved non-destruct
rescues who found the dogs the loving homes they deserved. Every dog is
awarded full rescue back up by the Charity to give them the best ever chance
in life. This includes vaccinations, veterinary treatment, training,
neutering, microchipping, homechecks and a safe place to come back to should
circumstances change in their new home. 10,000 dogs that would have
otherwise died unloved in the past 4 years have now been given a new start
in life".

Most rescue shelters depend heavily on volunteers, fundraising and donations
to enable them to carry out their vital life-saving work and many are
struggling to survive in today's current financial climate, others have
already sadly perished. For those rescues that have managed to stay afloat,
the workload is excruciating,  kennels are constantly full, no sooner than
one becomes vacant another unwanted dog will arrive and fill the space.

The simple, heart-rending truth is there just aren't enough rescue spaces
across the UK to accommodate the countless numbers of unwanted dogs in need
and so thousands of healthy and often young dogs are put to sleep every
year. The situation is now dire and needs to be addressed.

Over breeding, irresponsible dog ownership and extortionate vets fees are
all to blame.

Over breeding is by far the most serious problem. We despair at the amount
of people who insist on buying dogs from breeders, puppy farms the internet
etc. while thousands of unwanted dogs are waiting desperately in rescue
kennels for loving homes and thousands more are being euthanized. The slogan
"Don't Breed or Buy While Homeless Dogs Die" is commonly used by animal
shelters around the world and it speaks volumes. We urge anyone thinking of
taking on a dog to please adopt one from a reputable rescue instead of
buying a dog from a breeder, puppy farm etc. If every prospective dog owner
was to do this, then the numbers of unwanted dogs in the UK would fall
dramatically.

Spaying and neutering is also an essential means to reducing the numbers of
unwanted dogs. All dog owners should have their pet spayed or neutered, this
will prevent any accidental litters. Most reputable rescue organizations
will spay or neuter before rehoming a dog, however, some smaller charities
don't always have the funds to do this but they will always recommend to the
new owner that this is done.

Dog breeders, be they commercial or independent will of course not consider
spaying or neutering as they will continue to breed dogs as a means to make
a fast buck, so it is up to the members of the public to refrain from
supporting these breeders and adopt a dog from a rescue centre instead.

Puppy farms and dog breeders across the UK are churning out dogs at an
alarming rate. Many of these seedy and often 'elusive' establishments keep their dogs in appalling
conditions and it is not uncommon for puppies from these places to be found
in a poor state of health.

Breeding bitches are forced to produce litter after litter until they become
exhausted and even disfigured in some cases. We have put out appeals for
some female dogs that have been used so often for breeding that their
delicate teats have become inflamed and enlarged to the point where they are
dragging along the ground. It is heart breaking to witness such abuse.

It is now the responsibility of the government to take serious measures to
stop all the over breeding in this country, as this is by far the biggest
contributing factor to the escalating problem of so many unwanted dogs. The
general public can also help by lobbying the government, writing to David
Cameron and their own local MP's urging them to take the necessary measures
to stop the appalling and unforgivable carnage of thousands of dogs in the
UK.

We feel that vets are also partly to blame for people abandoning their dogs.
It is inconceivable to think that some people might be willing to give up
their dog before giving up their X-box or DVD player, but sadly this is the
attitude of some people. Exorbitant vets fees are not helping the
situation. If a dog becomes sick then some less committed dog owners are
tempted into giving up their pet when faced with the vet's bill. The current
recession has placed the security of the household pet on even shakier
ground. How many sick animals are being neglected and left to suffer because
some penny-pinching individuals are unwilling to pay extortionate prices for
treatment?  It is the responsibility of the vets to reduce their fees which
will encourage owners to keep and look after their animals properly.

Many dogs end up in rescues, pounds etc due to dog owner's lack of foresight
and lack of commitment. If people were to think more seriously before taking
on a dog then this occurrence could be avoided.

Owning a dog is a huge responsibility and although the rewards of adopting a
furry friend are immeasurable, there are several important points to
consider before adopting a dog.

Financially, can you afford to pay for food, vets fees etc? Work and social
commitments also need to be taken into consideration, a dog is a pack animal
and so should not be left on its own for long periods of time as this would
cause distress and anxiety.

Are you planning to move or change jobs in the near future? If so, then the
dog's needs would have to be considered and your lifestyle adapted to fit in
with these needs.

Too often we hear of cases where couples have split up or moved house and as
a result of these changes have decided to get rid of their dog, this is
immoral and unacceptable, would these people give up their children under
the same circumstances? It is extremely unlikely, so why is it deemed
acceptable to give up their dog? Once a dog becomes a member of your family,
it should remain so for life. To quote the words of 'Dogs Trust', the
largest dog welfare charity in the UK "A dog is for life, not just for
Christmas".

Sadly the 'Staffie' is far too often becoming a common resident in dog
pounds and rescue centres.

This friendly, loyal breed has become the victim of many macho would-be
'hard men' of today's society who are often using these dogs as a status symbol, a
tool to boost their inflated, ambitious egos, the innocent Staffie, totally
oblivious to its owner's motives. These low-life thugs will disown their dog
at the drop of a hat as soon as it is deemed as an inconvenience. Sadly,
these unwholesome individuals have created a bad image for the Staffies in
the eyes of the general public, this is a tragedy as these special dogs make
wonderful, loyal, family pets as any Staffie rescue will tell you.

The Greyhound is another greatly exploited breed. Tens of thousands of these
placid gentle-natured dogs are bred every year to supply the commercial
racing industry. Thousands of these dogs are killed at the end of their
racing career, usually at the tender age of three or four years and countless more
are either abandoned on the streets and picked up as strays or end up in
rescues, all adding to the extremely overwhelming unwanted dog population.

There is no end to the amount of suffering that dogs in our society are
being forced to endure. These living, breathing, loyal sentient beings have
been ultimately betrayed by us. Mahatma Gandhi once said "The greatness of a
nation and its moral progress can be judged by the ways its animals are
treated". It would seem Britain is not so 'Great' after all, we have become
a nation of convenience and throwaway 'junkies', self orientated and
motivated by greed, this together with a lack of compassion has led to
devastating consequences for our so-called 'best friend'.
Britain has become a nation of dog killers!
southwestanimalprotection@yahoo.co.uk
Helen Stevens (co-ordinator)
South West Animal Protection UK

If you would like to watch the brilliant 'Panorama' programme mentioned above please see this link to the 'Greyt Exploitations' website- http://greytexploitations.com/resources-and-reports/britain-a-nation-of-dog-killers please note the video is in three parts so just scroll down to the next video on the website. Thank you to Greyt Exploitations for publicising our report.

SWAP team UK have already had an immediate response to our national press release so far from 'Dogs Today' magazine who have offered to help feature some of our death row dog appeals and the individuals who are trying to help these poor dogs, 'K9' magazine have put our article on their website which has now been put on many other people's websites and 'Pet Street' have also shown interest. Please feel free to make a comment in support of our article on the K9 magazine website here -http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/6215/britain-a-nation-of-dog-killers/

HOW YOU CAN HELP THIS DIRE SITUATION- EVERY VOICE COUNTS FOR THESE POOR DOGS!

Please sign this petition for dogs to be licensed and not slaughtered
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/dogsuklicencednotslaughtered/

Please write to the Prime Minsiter David Cameron and Caroline Spelman (member of Parliament for Meriden and Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and ask the government to address this problem immediately by bringing in new laws to stop indiscriminate breeding. Here are some ideas you could put to them that you could copy and paste into your letters, please feel free to add your own ideas.

1- Licence fee/registration fee of £100 (annual fee) for all dog owners of which the profits go to dog welfare charities. Dog rescues should be exempt from this charge.
2- Compulsory microchipping for all dogs throughout the land.
3- Compulsory spaying and neutering to become law for all companion animals with government funding for people on lower incomes. All vets to charge a reasonable set rate for this as stipulated by government. This will greatly reduce the amount of dogs being bred  indiscrimnately.
4 - All puppy farms phased out and banned throughout the UK including Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, allowing adequate time for these establishments to re-home all their dogs they have left. NO MORE BREEDING!
5- All establishments breeding dogs for human entertainment ie racing Greyhounds to be abolished as thousands of unwanted Greyhounds are killed every year and those lucky enough to be in rescue are using up vital rescue spaces for other non Greyhound breeds that may die as a result of the surplus Greyhounds needing homes.
6- Dogs Trust, Blue Cross and the RSPCA to launch national media campaign encouraging people to rescue dogs from shelters and stop buying from breeders which will help to reduce the numbers of unwanted dogs in UK.
7- Tighter policing to wipe out dog fighting gangs who breed their dogs for fighting which is also incredibly cruel.
8- Local councils enforcing laws on dog ownership, heavy fines to be given to people abandoning their dogs.
9- Licenced breeders to be charged high registration fees and inspected regularly (without prior warning) by local councils.
10- National Vets should reduce all their fees so they are more affordable to the general public, thereby reducing animal suffering.

Email- camerond@parliament.uk

Snail mail
Prime Minister David Cameron
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA

caroline@carolinespelman.com

Please also write to your local MP asking them to take immediate action and to bring up this important issue in parliament. You can google search your local MP's contact details.

Please also write to the RSPCA and the Dogs Trust to ask them to consider a national media advertising campaign to stop the needless slaughter of thousands of Britain's unwanted dogs, encouraging people to adopt a homeless dog rather than buying from a breeder and to ultimately ban the indiscriminate breeding of dogs.
RSPCA- Enqserv@rspca.org.uk
Dogs Trust using their contact form- please note please remember to click the 'contact us' button on the right hand side of the web page once you have finished your message- http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/contactus/default.aspx

Please also send this sample letter or please feel free to write your own to the 'Letters to the Editor' to all the national papers listed below and your own local papers. It is imperative that we get the message out there! Please remember to include your name, address, tel number in all correspondence.

Dear Letters to the Editor

I would like to congratulate the BBC and the Panorama team on their recent programme 'Britain's Unwanted Pets' which highlighted the escalating problem of unwanted dogs in the UK.
As a dog lover I am sickened by the fact that vast numbers (thousands) of unwanted, healthy, young dogs are destroyed every year in the UK, simultaneously, commercial and independent breeders and unscrupulous puppy farms are continuously adding to the dog population. It would seem in our modern society dogs have become the victims of irresponsible ownership and exploitation. Typical examples of this are Staffordshire Bull Terriers (Staffies) and racing Greyhounds. The Staffie has often been targeted by macho hooligans using the breed as a status symbol often abandoned when no longer wanted.
Greyhounds are bred in their tens of thousands every year to supply the commercial racing industry, many of these dogs will sustain serious injuries on the tracks and many be will be discarded at the end of their racing careers generally at the tender age of three to four years old either destroyed or abandoned. Those that are abandoned are adding to the ever increasing numbers of unwanted dogs.
Dog rescues throughout the UK are constantly overflowing with homeless dogs, the situation is now dire and needs to be addressed immediately. It is now time for the government to step in and take the necessary measures to stop the unforgivable carnage of so many unwanted dogs. The repsonsibility also lies with members of the general public. Anyone considering adopting a dog should firstly think very seriously about the commitment they are facing and should only take on a dog if they are prepared to look after and keep their pet for life. In order to greatly reduce the numbers of unwanted dogs it would be more ethical for prospective dog owners to adopt a dog from their local rescue rather than buy a dog from a breeder. The problem with individuals buying from dog breeders is that it is creating a bigger demand on the breeders to produce more dogs and this is immoral when thousands of unwanted dogs in shelters looking for loving homes are being put to sleep every year.
If concerned readers feel as passionately as I do about this then they can write to their own local MP as well as the Prime Minister David Cameron to ask them to address this dire situation asap.
Prime Minister David Cameron
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA
Let's once again become a nation of dog lovers.
Thank you
Name and address to be supplied please

The Guardian- letters@guardian.co.uk
The Observer- letters@observer.co.uk
The Times - letters@thetimes.co.uk
The People-  peoplenews@mgn.co.uk
Daily Mail - letters@dailymail.co.uk
Daily Express - expressletters@express.co.uk
The Daily Star- StarLetters@dailystar.co.uk
The Daily Telegraph - dtletters@telegraph.co.uk
The Sun - letters@the-sun.co.uk
News of the World - newsdesk@notw.co.uk
The Independent- letters@independent.co.uk
The Daily Mirror-  mailbox@mirror.co.uk

A moving poem by Trudie James of the Doris Banham Dog Rescue
Please see their brilliant work for death row dogs here- www.dogsos.co.uk please support their work

Today is just another day - to me they're all the same
I have the worst of genes you see, I bear the "Staffy" shame.
The shame is in our numbers, there's thousands with no home.
Thousands just like me you'll find, in kennels all alone.

My mum was "just a Staffy", my father - well who knows?
Mum, too, became unwanted, as the last puppy goes.
And then begins the process, of money-making deals
A life of "moving on" unfolds, who cares how the Staffy feels?
If you have the cash to hand, the Staffy pup is yours
But that pup is getting bigger now, just look at those big paws.

You brought me for your image, thought I'd make you look more tough
But you'll find my boisterous nature has already got too much.
If you had thought to train me, with kindness and with praise
You would have had a faithful friend to share your darkest days.
I would lay down my life for you, but you simply cannot see
You make sure you get your money back on what you paid for me.

And on it goes, until one day, I'm no longer worth a dime
The retail on an adult staff - not worth the waste of time.
So what happens to a Staffy now? Do you really want to know?
Do you care what will become of us, when we leave our final home?

Have you ever thought to wonder, "Where is that Staffy now?"
The "Staffy" has another name; he's become a "stray" somehow.
Me, I was put into a car and driven far away
The door held open, I jumped out, I thought to run and play.
It was with joy and happy heart I turned to look for you
You drove away with all my trust and a piece of my heart too.

I wondered round for many days before I was brought here.
Now I wait with heavy heart, trepidation and with fear.
Seven days is all I have you see, seven days for you to claim
The little dog that you threw out, for which you have no shame.

This is my last goodbye now my seven days are up
If only more thought had gone into the future of that pup
As the needle empties to my veins I lay down with one last sigh
I'm sorry I was born a Staffy, because it means that I must die.