NEWS AND OPINION: Do we care if UK’s zoos are struggling to breed captive animals because Brexit has introduced intolerable paperwork and bureaucracy? Scores of zoos including London Zoo claim that their breeding schemes for species such as rhinos, monkeys and other endangered animals are being hampered by Brexit red tape. Is there complaint tenable? …
There is a story in The Times today about animal rights groups up in arms over a lioness that was killed at Longleat Safari Park in the UK. There have been seven similar incidents at zoos and safari parks across Britain over the past seven years including this recent one at Longleat. The female was …
Captive big cat breeding programs carry risk of death not present in the wild Read More »
It seems that the refinement of the racehorse through selective breeding has reached a ceiling because they are not getting any quicker. In fact, many of today’s records are 50 years old. For example, the great Classic race, the Derby, was run in record time in 1926. The horse, Coronach, who set the record managed …
The Kennel Club breed standard for the brachycephalic, flat-faced, fashionable French bulldog and pug (as two examples) are clear on what is required in respect of their eyes. Take the pug. The breed standard states: “Dark, relatively large, round in shape, soft and solicitous in expression, very lustrous, and when excited, full of fire. Never …
Breeders of fashionable flat-faced dogs in breach of breed standard Read More »
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) tells me that the population of UK wintering great white egrets is 35. This means the number of individuals present from October to March. Today it is reported in the news media that Bird Guides a website monitoring sightings of rare birds, said that it had …
Great white egret no longer rare in the UK due to global warming? Read More »
Queen Elizabeth II is 94 years old and looking like she’s going to make a 100. She likes dogs particularly corgis and has owned 30 in her lifetime all of whom are believed to have been descended from Susan, a corgi given to the monarchy as a gift on her 18th birthday. It’s now reported …
Queen Elizabeth II has outlived all her dogs bar one Read More »
Derek Gow used to be a farmer. Perhaps he still considers himself to be a farmer. Although he is passionately interested in wildlife, nature, rewilding and conservation. He is also a concerned environmentalist and has been described as a renegade re-wilder. The word “renegade” refers to the fact that he is frustrated with the UK …
A study concluded that 66% owners of brachycephalic (round-headed short-muzzled) dogs would recommend their dog breed to others and 93% would adopt another despite the fact that these flat-faced breeds are inherently unhealthy. It seems that they don’t think they are unhealthy or have normalised the health issues. This attitude will perpetuate the breeding of …
Short-muzzled dog owners are unconcerned about their dog’s health problems Read More »
I was reading a story on the website The Globe and Mail written by a reader of the website. She had adopted a rescue dog. She wanted to adopt a confident, non-anxious dog. She found herself with a dog who appears to be almost permanently anxious which dramatically affects his behaviour (and the behaviour of …
NEWS AND VIEWS: The wise words of the title are those of Julia Klöckner, the German government’s Agriculture Minister. I want to give this woman a kiss because (1) she is genuinely concerned about animal welfare and has the power to make some real changes for the benefit of animals and (2) she is very …
Animals are not there to fulfil the dubious aesthetic demands of their owners Read More »
Dogfishing is a new word for the new age. It refers to the practice of enticing a person, usually online, to buy a puppy which is sick and is therefore not the dog that the person thinks he/she is. It is basically a con. And it is happening a lot. Often the source of the …
There is an argument that purebred, pedigree dogs are cared for to a higher standard than mongrels a.k.a. random bred dogs. I suppose the argument is that if a couple purchase a purebred dog they are more likely to care for that “possession” more precisely and with greater gentleness and concern than a mongrel which …
Pedigree dogs are looked after better than random bred dogs? Read More »
I have listed 7 dog breeds that “hate cats”. Fortunately, I have bumped into a website1 where the author did her homework judging by the references she used which are listed on her webpage. I trust what she has written. Having read the webpage I think that it is fair to categorise the kind of …
