Advocacy Objectives of the Friends Group

[angelad]

• Raising the Profile of the Dogs Home – Letting more people know about the home and the work that we do
• Volunteering – whether it be walking dogs, helping at community events, site maintenance, involvement in friends of group, talks at schools/other community facilities
• Re-homing – assisting with advertising of dogs looking for home, maybe look at producing advice leaflets for new dog owners.
Research
• Research - Looking at and sharing ideas on legislation/good practice/guidance with groups and staff.

Dogs Trust Stray Dog Survey 2010: Based on the 337 authorities who responded to this survey, an estimated 121,693 stray dogs were handled by local councils across the UK from 1st April 2009 to 31st March 2010. This represents a 13% increase from the estimate of 107,228 dogs handled last year, the highest figure seen since 2000. There is evidence to suggest that the recession has impacted on the number of stray dogs being seized across the UK. Furthermore, the fact that strays are now reported directly to councils rather than to the police could also be a factor. A total of 332 licensed breeding establishments were reported. Fifty nine local authorities reported not to know this information. This question was not asked of authorities in Northern Ireland

The common consensus of those working in Dog Rescue is that they are picking up the pieces of an ever expanding problem, working at the wrong end of the lead and that it is the 'humans' that need educating if the numbers of stray dogs are to decrease.

Large numbers of the general population remain unaware of:

If Considering Getting a Dog

• The stray dog situation in the UK
  
• That Rescue dogs make great family pets
  
• That you can find puppies and breed dogs in rescue
  
• That the majority of pups come from Puppy Farms/Back Yard Breeders and may have (severe) health problems, be undersocialized and have been kept in unsatisfactory (appalling) conditions
  

General Dog Welfare:
The neccessities of (in no particular order):

• Vaxing, Worming, De-Fleaing
  
• Neutering on health reasons alone let alone moral
  
• Microchipping and tag details on collar
  
• Socializing, Positive Training, Regular Exercise
  
• A Dog is for Life
  

and I'm sure you could add more

We've all heard the stories:

He's got to go, didn't realize he'd get that big/I'm having a baby/kids have lost interest/etc.etc.

I thought I'd let her have just one litter, the vet advised me to

She never goes out so I don't need to microchip

I couldn't sell all the pups so you can have them

I want a XXXXbreed and there's some litters advertised in the free papers

and on and on.

So 'Friends' can help right this situation by:

• Raising the Profile of the Dogs Home – Letting more people know about the home and the work that we do
• Volunteering – whether it be walking dogs, helping at community events, site maintenance, involvement in friends of group, talks at schools/other community facilities
• Re-homing – assisting with advertising of dogs looking for home, maybe look at producing advice leaflets for new dog owners.
Research
• Research - Looking at and sharing ideas on legislation/good practice/guidance with groups and staff.