Sickly pups from dubious origins

2014 is more than half way over – scary, but true!

I have achieved some of my CPD plans, and I intend to go to London Vet Show for the new nursing stream. There have been some good value options available so, if you fancy some reasonably priced CPD aimed at qualified nurses, contact CJ on 02476 719687 or email lvs@closerstillmedia.com for more information and prices. You can also legally attend the vet stream!

I also plan another trip to Pup Aid in Primrose Hill, London. This year’s event takes place on September 6, and I hope it’s as good as last year – Hollie and I had a great day out; she tried out a four-poster dog bed and got a lovely new harness. She was fussed over by a lot of people and had a lot of pictures taken of her. Quite the little celeb!

As for the campaign itself, Marc Abraham has managed to get more than 100,000 signatures on the “Where’s Mum?” e-petition. This means the matter will now be brought in front of Parliament – in fact, Marc has just announced that the Pup Aid debate (Regulation of the sale of puppies and kittens) has been added to the Parliamentary timetable for September 4, 2014.

However, you can still help even if you haven’t signed the petition. Writing on the Pup Aid website, Marc asks:

Please set aside a couple of minutes to write to your local MP and tell them why they have to act. They need to know this is a matter that is important to their constituents. Specifically, we need them to:

• raise the matter with the Animal Welfare Minister, Lord de Mauley
• give their name to Rob Flello MP, who is coordinating the campaign in Parliament
• consider speaking during the House of Commons debate

You can find out who your MP is and their contact details at findyourmp.parliament.uk

I can’t think of any practice that will not have seen a sickly pup bought from a dubious origin.

In many cases, the owners are unaware of the problems of poor breeding, but by highlighting the importance of getting a pet from a stable home environment we can then shine a light on the similar issues with kittens too.