Pet first aid
Pet first aid is an area of growing interest to pet owners: the internet now lets people access an encyclopaedia of information about animals, but sometimes hands-on teaching is needed, with physical demonstrations of topics like CPR. Last weekend, a pet first aid course was run at BrayVet, and it’s the first topic under discussion in this week’s podcast.
Educating children about pets
The podcast then discusses the importance of teaching children about animal welfare from an early age.
Dog theft
Finally we discuss the topic of dog theft, an issue which seems to be on the rise.The main “dog theft” message is that dog owners need to be aware that their pets are valuable commodities. Just as you wouldn’t leave a wallet stuffed with cash in your garden, you should not leave your dog alone, unobserved, within easy reach of any passer by. Additionally, you should be double-double-sure that your dog cannot escape from your garden. If a dog escapes, there are so many risks out there. There are two main issues for dogs roaming on their own.
- Road traffic accidents are common: most dogs have no “road sense” and are liable to wander into busy traffic, risking their own lives as well as the lives of other road users
- Sheep worrying. If a dog does escape, and ends up on agricultural land, a farmer has a legitimate right to shoot the animal. Under Irish Law (Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act, 1960), a farmer is allowed to shoot dogs that are on his land if they are worrying livestock. The farmer is obliged to notify the shooting within forty-eight hours to the Garda Síochána, but the law is on the side of the farmer here: you are the one who may be in trouble with the Gardai.
To protect your dog, it’s your responsibility to make sure that she never again escapes from your garden.
If your dog does escape and is either killed on the road, or shot by a farmer, you may never find this out, and you may be left wondering what had happened to them. You may even mistakenly believe that they have been stolen, which may lead to weeks of worry and angst.
The bottom line is that we all need to keep our pets secure and safe: it’s our responsibility to our pets, and to ourselves, to do this.
Please note that I am unable to answer veterinary questions in comments. If you have questions or concerns about your pet's health it is always better to contact your vet.