Canine and Feline Sector Group - Big Tent Meeting November 2016

The CFGS is a sector coucil that advises the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England and Defra on dog and cat related issues.

On 22 November they held a Big Tent Meeting to gather experts in various fields of cat and dog health and welfare together to gather opinions on the key issues we are facing today and how best to tackle these.

These include the crisis of cat overpopulation, issues surrounding legislation and measures to tackle dogs that pose a risk to the public including the safe rehoming of dogs, and the need for data to establish priorities and monitor interventions.  We don't even know the number of cats and dogs in the country!

There is a Puppy Working Group to tackle the Breeding and Trading of Puppies including illegal import and trafficking.  Brexit will have implications and the importance of Welfare Codes was stressed.

Some issues that were raised:

Welfare standards in rehoming organisations - The Association of Dog and Cat Homes has 160-170 rescues/homes signed up to welfare standards that all members are obliged to meet.

The issue of dog breeding is still contentious with different approaches and opinions between organisations

Law enforcement - the meeting came hot on the heels of criticisms of the RSPCA and a call to strip them of enforcement role - a call that Angela Smith, MP, strongly disagreed with.

We need to ask 'What would we do if the RSPCA did not exist or stopped taking on prosecutions?' - in short, there is little scope for local authorities or others to take on this role due to the lack of resources available for enforcement of animal welfare law.

If we were to strip the RSPCA of that work there would be a significant drop in animal welfare.

Steve Dean stressed the need for organisations to work together, and to use enforcement as a last resort. Most people want to get it right!  And of the vast number of complaints the RSPCA look at, only a small proportion lead to prosecution.

For the workshop discussion, ten subgroups were each given an issue to discuss and debate between themselves and come up with a 3-point action plan to tackle it.  The topic given to my table asked - How do we reduce the number of healthy dogs that are presented at the vets for euthanasia due to behavioural issues?  And how do we ensure they get the best help and advice?  Key measures that were identified were:

1. The importance of early advice to owners on sourcing and acquiring a cat or dog before they get them,
2. socialising and training it correctly and being aware of the need for continued education and training throughout a dog's life,
3. and when things do go wrong, knowing where to get help, seeking behaviour advice from properly qualified and knowledgable practitioners and ensuring vets know where to direct clients.