Episode 20 - dog mess wardens, a royal rumpus and more

The Dog News Show

Episode 20 of The Dog News Shows sees a return to that perennial problem of poo. Taxpayers in Islington, North London, are outraged that their hard earned taxes have been wasted by the council on a scheme to clear the area of dog poo. However, although £134,000 has been spend to employ a team of 22 dog mess wardens, the project has only seen 26 fines issued, so although it was hoped the scheme would be self-financing the income generated has fallen well short of what was hoped, leaving the council heavily out of pocket. One local councilor, Greg Foxsmith described the matter as a "complete waste" - we're not sure if the pun was intended or not. Debbie and Julie discuss how other councils have tackled the issue more successfully.

Meanwhile, it's not just us commoners who have problems with our dogs - the royal family's dogs have been making headlines recently. With the Windsor family gathering at Balmoral for their annual summer break, their dogs are having to adjust to new routines and surroundings. It's no surprise then that under this pressure the dogs suddenly thrown together with strange dogs, in a strange place, and not with their owners but in the care of the Queen's dog boy started fighting. Sadly Princess Beatrice's Norfolk Terrier, Max, took the brunt of the attack, and nearly lost an ear. This is just the latest in a long line of royal canine kerfuffles, so should their royal highnesses be calling on Debbie Connolly for advice, and will Julie Hill end up in The Tower for her irreverent comments?
From Georgia, USA, comes the very sad story of Rebecca Carey who devoted her life to rescuing dogs and other animals. She had been taking in abandoned animals for ten years, and was found dead in her house recently. There was so much blood at the scene of the crime that police initially thought Rebecca had been the victim of a vicious murder, but it then emerged that one or more of her dogs had been responsible for her death. When she dies, Rebecca was sharing her house with five dogs, all of whom have been put to sleep - but was this the right decision? Should homes have been found for the dogs, and why were certain breeds singled out in the reporting of the event?
Anthony Ortolani and his friend were 13,000 feet up Mount Bierstadt in Colorado when Anthony's dog Missy was injured. With a snow storm imminent, Anthony made the decision to leave his dog, and the friends went home without her. Scott and Amanda Washburn found Missy several days later, and though they too had to initially leave the dog, they organised a team of volunteers and returned to rescue Missy, using a large back pack to carry her down the mountain. At that point Anthony heard about the rescue via a climbers' social networking site, thanked them, offered to reimburse them and asked to be reunited with Missy, who was then at a local veterinarian's surgery. However, Anthony was in for a shock and not only has his dog not been returned to him, but he has been charged with cruelty to an animal and will be in court in October 2012. What would you do if you were faced with a life or death choice that involved leaving your dog? Should Anthony be prosecuted, and should Missy have been put in danger in the first place? Your comments, as ever, are invited.
Is heelwork to music degrading to the dogs that participate in it? Should the moves involved be restricted for the dog's safety? Apparently in the wake of Ashleigh and Pudsey's triumph in talent show Britain's Got Talent there has been a 20% rise in participants of the sport, and the Kennel Club is seeking to make sure the dogs involved are as safe as possible, and is issuing strict new guidelines. The guidelines outline moves that will not be deemed acceptable, but are they too subjective, and does the Kennel Club have bigger fish to fry anyway?

In a slightly controversial Schmlatz Corner Julie and Debbie discuss the fact that a gentle dog-walking romance Monday to Friday Man has knocked Fifty Shade of Grey off the top spot on the Amazon UK website. So does Julie get stomped? - and has either of the girls read Fifty Shades? All will be revealed!