Episode 30 - PDSA report, PETA campaign, hawk attacks and more

The Dog News Show

The headlines this week proclaimed that up to one third of owners had been bitten by their own dog, based on a report brought out by the P.D.S.A. However, Debbie points out that the actual full report puts a slightly different spin on things from the rest of the media. One or two of the findings do make very worrying reading and it's clear that every dog and owner need to attend classes - irrespective of the owner's previous experience. Click here to read the full P.D.S.A. report.

In the U.S.A. and Canada P.E.T.A. has been putting up billboards near schools appealing to children to abandon traditional Thanksgiving food. Julie describes the poster, which has the slogan "KIDS: If you wouldn't eat your dog, why eat a turkey? Go vegan." accompanied by a photo shopped photo of an animal with a turkey's body and a dog's head. Children can also download a tombstone from the P.E.T.A. website to stick into the turkey which says, "Here Lies the Corpse of a Tortured Bird." Do you think this a good way to highlight the issues surrounding the raising of farm animals, or is an exploitation of our bond with our dogs?
In the U.K. a child was attacked by a hawk while playing in a park. The young boy was injured, but was it really an "attack" as the media portrayed it, or was it an accident? The owner of the bird of prey was a young man of eighteen who has apparently been seen around the area posing with the hawk - raising the question of whether birds of prey are replacing some dog breeds as the new status pet. If so should birds of prey ownership be covered by similar legislation to the Dangerous Dogs Act?
By coincidence, a dog has also been attacked by a hawk this week, with disastrous consequences. Ollie the Jack Russell Terrier had most of his tongue ripped out by a hawk and there are serious doubts as to whether he will be able to eat or drink independently again, or whether he will have to be euthenised. In this incident the hawk owner had insurance in place to cover the vet's fees, drove the dog and his owner to the vet, and has offered to have the bird put to sleep if he owner of the dog wants that. Accidents happen, and while we at The Dog News Show hope poor Ollie makes a full recovery, we also don't think the death of the bird involved will be of any use. What's your opinion?
From Australia comes the story of Dante the two year old who wandered off into the bush, accompanied by the family German Shepherd Dasher who stayed by his side for the fourteen hours the pair were missing. In a change from usual, it's Debbie who find the story charming, and it's Julie who's asking awkward questions. So is it a Disney-esque tale of two pals wandering off on an adventure, or is it lack of supervision that put both toddler and dog at risk?
Did you know that Keswick in the Lake District is the most dog friendly town in the U.K.? Well it's officially true, as Keswick has won first place in the Kennel Club's Open For Dogs Competition. Apparently dogs are welcome in many of the town's shops and cafes, pubs and bed and breakfasts. We all know that having our dogs made welcome makes us feel more welcome too, so if you know of somewhere that goes the extra mile to make your dog welcome, rather than just tolerated, let us know.