The Underdog Show
This month the team at Harefield has had some TV stars in their midst – of both the canine and human variety. As training for the second series of Underdogs is underway – the whole rehoming centre has been getting involved with helping 10 celebrities to bond and train some of our wonderful rescue dogs. This year we have some larger than life characters involved including Brian Blessed who is making wonderful progress with his dog Dougal.
You will be able to watch the series live on Living TV from mid September but I’ve had the privilege of a sneak preview as I joined a training session. There is a superb selection of dogs this year and I was almost tearful when I saw how beautifully behaved they were and how quickly they are adapting to their celebrity handlers. Even the naughty ones were fun! The best thing about the show is knowing that once it has been aired we will get inundated with offers of good homes for some of our other residents. Being involved with the show really is an uplifting experience.
Pets at Home
Greyhounds
Tags: rehoming, greyhounds, walthamstow, racing, after care
With the closure of Walthamstow Stadium last weekend – greyhounds have been hitting the headlines. Many journalists have chosen to go down the nostalgic route in their articles – lamenting the demise of the sport and reminiscing about the so called ‘glory days’ of dog racing. I would have preferred them to dedicate more column inches to considering the rehoming process that will follow the closure.
Last week I was in Ireland to talk to the Greyhound Industry about plans for changes to the rules governing greyhound racing in the UK and how we are hoping that they can contribute to better welfare for the dogs. I had never been involved in a video conferencing situation before and, call me old fashioned, but I think there is nothing like meeting people face to face, but it was a fascinating process!
Pedigree dogs Exposed!
It was horrifying to watch last night's Pedigree Dogs Exposed programme on BBC1. I am very aware that the Kennel Club has been making significant efforts in the recent past to persuade breed clubs that they need to make more effort to eradicate genetic disease and carefully control inbreeding. We hope this programme provides them with the impetus and muscle to accelerate their plans.
Dogs Trust is aware that there are many genetic defects in pedigree dogs which cause significant health and welfare problems. We see many afflicted dogs in our Rehoming Centres and deal with the consequences. Not just the physical problems but also the mental anguish. Dogs Trust recognises that the majority of breeders are responsible and prioritise the welfare of their dogs; but we believe that the following four steps would help reduce the suffering of some pedigree dogs.