Its dangerous and a death trap for the waterfowl

Marks & Spencer, an iconic UK retailer, has cultivated a reputation for itself as leader in quality and sustainability. Yet right now they are selling tens of thousands of tonnes of farmed salmon which scientists warn is causing environmental damage. To add insult to injury, they’re labelling this harmful product as “responsibly sourced”. M&S wants us to believe that farmed salmon is a “responsible” alternative to wild fish. In reality, salmon farms rely on catching vast quantities of wild fish to feed the caged animals. Recent investigations have found this to be driving over-fishing and endangering ecosystems as far away as South American and Africa. Closer to home, salmon farms are a huge source of pollution of Scotland’s beautiful coastline. And farmed salmon are infested with disease and sea-lice, which causes them huge suffering and spreads to wild fish in the surrounding area. Wild salmon numbers in Scotland are collapsing. Marks & Spencer describes itself as committed to a “sustainable future” and as a “leader in animal welfare”. But when it comes to their salmon, the reality is that it damages wild fish ecosystems and packs salmon into dirty, disease-infested cages. Treatments for parasites kill and hurt significant numbers of farmed salmon. These farms are not leaders in animal welfare. Let’s tell them to stop. Stop labelling unsustainable, factory farmed salmon as “responsibly sourced”. Be honest about the impacts that these products have so that your customers are empowered to make good choices.

If you want your dog to attend a daycare or play facility then they must be neutered. Seems reasonable, yes? However, if you want your puppy to attend the same facility they must also be neutered unless under the age of six months. All of a sudden this doesn’t seem quite so reasonable, does it? It is widely recognised that neutering at such a young age can cause both physiological and psychological damage to dogs. This is particularly true of larger breeds, which take significantly longer to mature. The result is a significantly increased risk of arthritis and other bone defects, abnormal bone growth and a lack of fusion of the growth plates. Early castration can also result in the dog being stuck mentally in the adolescent phase and not fully maturing into an adult mental state or the ‘calming down’ that would be expected when a dog reaches adult maturity. This could in fact increase the chances of behaviour issues developing. Most of this damage cannot ever be reversed. Just like humans, dogs need hormones in order to grow up in a healthy manner. At just six months old, most puppies are not yet mature enough to have these hormones altered or removed. We strongly believe that the restrictions around un-neutered puppies attending play centres should be changed. This is not a money making exercise on our part - this is an animal welfare issue and, as dog lovers, it is an issue we feel passionate about. Too many pups are being neutered at too young an age and it undoubtedly has a detrimental effect on them. We are not vets, nor are we clinically trained but we have studied dogs and have extensive experience of working with a number of different breeds, observing the changes dogs go through following neutering. We believe it is important to be able to socialise all dogs when they are in their younger months so that they can develop their skills as they grow into maturity. This would result in better behaviour outcomes than early castration. Clearly pregnancy is unwanted therefore a facility should have policy in place for management of dogs and ability to separate them into safe groups where necessary. Facilities should have procedures in place where if any dog - regardless of sex, age or neutering status - is causing issues or not fitting in, the owners are approached to find suitable alternative arrangements for the care of their dog.

Not only will it have a big impact on local business as when out with our dogs we may grab a coffee and food. People exercise a lot more down the beach with dogs.

One of the adverse impacts of the new Brexit regulations on travel between GB & Northern Ireland for dogs, cats & ferrets and the pet owners is that they must have an animal health certificate travelling from GB to Northern Ireland. As a result of the Brexit legislation It will mean pet owners, guide dog & assistance dog owners who wish to travel with their pets, will incur unnecessary expense and potential to unnecessarily over-medicate their pets This will have a significant adverse effect on: •            people who regularly travel back from GB to Northern Ireland with pets to visit family in NI or returning from family visits in GB to Northern Ireland; •            As a result of these changes Guide Dogs for the Blind are even stopping using volunteer puppy raisers & potentially compromising replacement guide dogs being available to guide dog owners in Northern Ireland; •            a lot of pet owners enjoy holidaying with their pets & won't be willing to travel here with the new regulations. •            Northern Ireland championship dog shows which is an enjoyable pastime will become unviable. •            The viability of field trial events will be questionable. The EU Commission and UK Government can easily resolve this by allowing free movement of domestic animals between their jurisdictions.

It has become all too common that we are hearing from devastated dog owners who have found themselves in the distressing situation where their beloved pet has been seized by Police who have not advised the owner that they do NOT have to sign their pets life away. These owners later feel misled by the Police and have feelings of anger and suffer serious distress at knowing in hindsight, they could have potentially saved their pet. They CAN and in fact SHOULD seek professional advice to discuss all options open to them before making such a final, serious decision. Most incidents with dogs have an explanation as to why a dog has behaved in a certain manner and with expert behavioural help and support, most dogs would not require to be euthanised in order to ensure the safety of both the dog and the public. Most situations arise due to environmental factors and lack of understanding of the dogs behaviour and needs. Taking a dog out of the immediate environment and placing in experienced hands, can achieve wonderful results and mean that lives are not lost needlessly AND the public are safe. However, in the heat of the moment, owners often feel pressured and forced into signing their pet over and even made to feel that it is the responsible thing to do. We accept that in some extremely serious cases, a dog may be beyond help however that should only be a decision made after all other avenues have been explored and full professional independent assessments/vet checks are carried out. Dogs are not disposable! Public safety is absolutely paramount, however if these dogs are being seized and held by the Police for the 24 hour grace period, then there would be no additional risk to the public during that time and the benefit would be that dogs would not be losing their lives needlessly and owners would not then have to complain that they were pressured or forced by the Police to sign documents they didn't fully understand at the time. This would therefore offer protection to everyone involved, including the dogs. This petition is being launched in memory of Piglet, rest easy sweet girl. 🐾💔

Over 75% of the UK National Trust members voted against hunting last year at the AGM...I am one of them.

Shropshire County Council has given money that was intended to help businesses struggling because of COVID...to fox hunting groups. While shops on our high streets close their doors, aid that's meant to help them weather the Covid-19 crisis has gone to fund cruel bloodsports instead. Animal welfare groups and some MPs are already kicking up a fuss. Now what's needed is a massive outcry from the public - to show we don't want public funds going to groups that are propping up this cruel practice. Will you sign the petition now?

Because did you know it's not a legal requirement to walk your dog in the UK? This is really quite sad. I have an email from the RSPCA saying it's not a legal requirement to exercise your dog, plus it's not a wellfair issue.. This all began due to my neighbour refusing to walk their dogs and the fact I've noticed they do not clean up their dogs mess in the communal garden. When my neighbours are out, the dogs bark all day, which is causing them to become distressed. I believe it's in every dogs right to be walked exercised, socialised and stimulated. I am going to stand up for these dogs in the UK and I hope you will join me. *Petition time: I hope you will all sign it, because our dogs deserve better 🐕*

Hundreds of thousands of innocent animals - foxes, stoats, weasels, and hedgehogs - are killed on the Scottish moors every year. Why? So a small group of people can participate in the elitist sport of grouse shooting. The economic benefits of grouse shooting are tiny - but the environmental impact is massive. The ‘sport’ takes up huge swathes of the countryside and causes the deaths of huge numbers of innocent animals, which are caught in traps laid down by the shooters. The Scottish government have the power to fix this. Right now, they are considering what they should do about grouse shooting in Scotland. The answer is simple: ban the needless killing of hundreds of thousands of animals just so that moore grouse can be shot.

STOP Tesco’s and other establishments using this barbaric treatment of these innocent creatures!... To bring awareness of what supermarkets are honestly ensuring regarding sustainable cruelty free sourcing.. To be aware of what supermarket chains are in fact working toward by improving all animal welfare!

We are micro-businesses and sole traders offering a very special, home-from-home, dog boarding experience for dog lovers. We are not massive kennel operators, yet the license fee doesn’t differentiate, and we are being asked to pay exactly the same fee as a Commercial Kennels. There are more than 110 micro businesses and sole traders across the Joint Public Protection Partnership area who may now be forced to close as a direct consequence of this license fee increase. We desperately don’t want to close because we are all passionate about the dogs we take care of and we pride ourselves in offering a unique boarding experience for our clients and their dogs. As an example of the license increase we are facing: for the financial years 2018 - 20, the Bracknell Forest renewal licence fee was £119 per annum. From this year (2020-21), the Joint Public Protection Partnership increased the fee by a massive 375% to a total of £570 per annum. The fine laid down by DEFRA, for failing to obtain a licence, is set at £500 which is less than the total cost of renewal! Such a large increase cannot be considered fair or justified and, is contrary to the principle that local government is there to help and support local businesses thrive. There was no consultation process with us as home boarding providers, and the Joint Public Protection Partnership did not provide affected businesses with any prior notification of the license fee increases. Many home boarding providers have a very low turnover, and are already struggling with a downturn in bookings caused by the Covid-19 pandemic; a significant number will be unable to pay. They will either be forced to cease trading or have to increase their prices considerably to cover this huge increase. And this is why it affects us all! Please sign this petition and help us to prevent this from happening.