6th December 2011
House of Lords, London
As members of APGAW (the Associate Paliamentray Group for Animal Welfare), Chancepixies were represented by founders, David and Heidi Anderson, at the meeting in London which was solely on the topic of dog breeding in the UK.
Most of the top organisations in the UK were there, as was the film crew for the the follow up of 'Pedigree Dogs - Exposed'. Also present for part of the meeting was Shelia Crispin, the head of the Dog Breeding Advisory Council which was set up as a result of the 3 independant reports that were commissioned in response to the original 'Pedigree Dogs - Exposed' documentary. Questions were taken from the room by the panel consisting of Shelia Crispin, James Yeates (RSPCA), Harvey Locke (BVA), the Kennel Club were also due to be on the panel, but were not present due to the presence of the film crew. Unfortunately we were not chosen to ask our question, which would have been - 'Why are we not looking at controlling all dog breeding in the UK, instead of focussing on Pedigree dogs?'.
Although there are ideas and measures that go in the right direction, all ideas (one of which being 'The Puppy Contract') seem to be on an 'opt in' basis meaning the the responsible people (who do not cause the majority of the issues surrounding dogs in the UK) will comply, leaving the rest (puppy farmers and other irresponsible breeders/owners) to carry on regardless . . .
In our opinion, to truly make a difference to dogs in the UK, we need sensible legislation, legislation that will support responsible owners and breeders, but will prevent irresponsible ownership and breeding in the UK.
To learn more of our campaign, please click here, and add your voice to help those that cannot speak, thank you.
Pets At Home - Support Adoption for Pets
August 2011
Heidi with Simon from Pets At Home, Folkestone awarding the cheque.
Many, many thanks to Pets At Home and their Support Adoption for Pets charitable trust, for their generous support of our work, your kind donation will help us to continue to give shelter and comfort to our animals whilst they wait for their forever homes. Thank you x.
APGAW meeting with Lord Henley
5th July 2011, House of Commons, Westminster, London
In a meeting with Lord Henley, Under-Secretary of State for DEFRA, the member organisations were invited to put a question to Lord Henley regarding matters relating to Animal Welfare. Questions were raised across a specrum of areas including stray dogs, dog breeding, animal cloning, wild animals in circus'and vivisection, the meeting was attended by representatives of The Dogs Trust, Blue Cross, Cavalier Campaign, Battersea and Animal Care Trust to name a few.
Heidi Anderson of Chancepixies raised the question "Why are we not looking to control all dog breeding in the UK?"
On Tuesday 28th June 2011, a baby Seagull of about 1 week old fell from his nest on a roof in Folkestone. He was unable to be returned and so brought to Chancepixies to be looked after untill he was old enough to be released.
He is currently residing in one of our aviaries and doing well on a diet of prawns, cod, tuna, sardines and mackerel. He was named Toppol by the lady that rescued him from the bush that broke his fall. Toppol will be keeping everyone undated on his progress and thoughts on our facebook page
Toppols daily morning exercise regime!
Nearly There!
Bye, bye Toppol . . .
Friday 12th August saw a small group of Chancepixies saying goodbye to Toppol as he was old enough and strong enough to be released. After a few practice flights, Toppol took to the skies - off to his own new forever home, so if are around the Dover/Folkestone area and meet a bird with attitude - say hello as it could be Toppol!
Chancepixies rescues more dogs from Wales
On Sunday 12th December 2010,David from Chancepixies Animal Rescue left at 3am and travelled the 560 mile round trip to save another 6 dogs. Having had to cancel the previous trip due to being snowed in. How these dogs survived the recent temperatures is unbelievable.
All were given their routine health check and a few issues were made apparent, all were underweight, some were suffering from mange and an other needed treatment for an ear infection. What these poor dogs have to go through! One in particular - Darwin - was in such a poor state that you could see his back bone, he was also suffering from mange, covered in sores and was getting so weak that he was starting to give up and fade away. Sadly one that had to be left behind was another Staffie, a female, who was also fading away. We were unable to take her in this trip and limited funds are restricting us from being able to save her. If anyone can help in this regard, please do donate - we would dearly love to save this forlorne little dog, we don't know how long she can last.
Chancepixies Oppose the Welsh Assemblies
On 11th December 2010, Chancepixies Animal Rescue wrote into the Welsh Assemblies in opposition of their recent move to regulate puppy farms. We believe that you cannot regulate something that shouldn't exist.
To see the document click here
Please help us to help them and support our campaign to stop irresponsible breeding in all its forms, not just puppy farms.
Sign our petition or donate to our cause. On behalf of all dogs, thank you.
30th November 2010
Video taken 2nd Deecember 2010
On behalf of our rescued dogs, I am
appealing to you from Chancepixies Animal Rescue in West Hougham.
Due to the severe weather, we have had no running water at the kennels for
4 days now, having to rely on buckets of water from the nearby house to keep
water bowls topped up and their bedrooms clean. This has meant that we have
been unable to run the washing machine. If any of your listeners could spare
any old blankets, towels, sheets etc we would be extremely grateful. We rely
on calor gas fires to heat the kennel blocks and on cold nights like this
it costs over £5 a night, which soon adds up, especially when you have
3 kennel blocks of dogs to keep warm! So if anyone can donate towards heating
costs we and, the dogs would be extremely grateful! You can donate online
at www.chancepixies.com or you can send a cheque to Chancepixies Animal Rescue,
Gravel Lane, West Hougham, Kent, CT15 7AG, or if you have a 4x4 and can make
it up the hill any donations will be gratefully received.
On Monday we were due to travel to Wales to save more dogs, but are still
unable to get out of the property, these dogs are at risk. Where they are
being kept at the moment, they have no doors on their kennels, no heating
and no bedding (despite some being sent there for free – the owners
returned it!), they are already very skinny and we are unsure how long they
will last in such extreme temperatures. We need to be able to get them transported
from Neath, Wales down to us, if we can get them from Wales to the Folkestone
Road, Dover, we can walk them the rest of the way into their waiting kennels
and comfortable beds. So if anyone can travel some or all of this distance,
pleae do contact us! Failing this we can hope that they survive until we are
able to travel the 500 mile round trip, which again, if anyone can donate
towards fuel costs - we are really struggling to keep up with the escalating
costs to care for these dogs which is hampering our rescue efforts, so if
anyone can spare any money at what we know is a difficult time for everyone,
we really would appreciate it!
On behalf of the dogs at Chancepixies,
Thank you!
Dashing through the snow . . .
Wendy Turner-Webster visits Chancepixies!
On Thursday 18th November, Journalist, Television Presenter and Animal Rights Campaigner Wendy Turner-Webster visited Chancepixies Animal Rescue.
Friday 19 November 2010
Wendy Turner-Webster joins local animal rescue’s fight to change UK
dog laws
Television presenter and Animal Rights Campaigner Wendy Turner-Webster visited the Chancepixies Animal Rescue in West Hougham yesterday to learn more about their fight to change Britain’s dog laws.
The rescue is campaigning to unite breeders and rescue centres in bid to overhaul current legislation and put an end to Britain’s staggering stray dog problem.
Chancepixies originally contacted Wendy Turner-Webster after she was quoted
in a national dog paper saying she was “always saddened that rescue
centres have to exist”. The Kent-based rescue believe that if strict
legislation was put in place and enforced, the stray dog problem would be
eradicated within 10 years. “I wouldn’t put my name to a charity
if I wasn’t willing to get involved” said Wendy Turner-Webster,
“I am really astonished that there is no legislation in the UK to control
dog breeding.”
With 70% of European countries enforcing compulsory dog licensing, Britain
falls within the small minority of countries who have absolutely no controls
in place. The charity have drafted a ‘Fit for Breeding’ legislation
proposal which would see all breeders regulated and enforce a long-term level
of care and responsibility. “There is legislation already in place to
control farm animals and fishing and to prevent you dumping your fridge or
your car, why aren’t we also protecting dogs?” said the charity’s
Heidi Anderson, “we’re absolutely delighted that Wendy has come
on board to help us make a change and end the unnecessary suffering of 1000s
of dogs who are abandoned every year”.
Chancepixies already operates according to these principles
and offers long-term support for people who rescue a dog from their centre.
They provide bespoke training and behaviour programmes for all of the dogs
in their care and offer ongoing guidance and support to new owners whenever
required. “We’re champions of responsible dog ownership and breeding”
said Heidi, “we’re making a positive change to educate, rescue
and act, it starts right here”.
After the news story on Friday 22nd October 2010 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11602721, Chancepixies wrote the following response as a press release and sent it out first thing Monday 25th. We will also be compiling a letter to Elin Jones, the Welsh Minister, outlining our views on why puppy farms should not be allowed, in any form!
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday 23rd October 2010
Chancepixies Animal Rescue in response to the Welsh Assembly Governments proposals
for new rules regarding puppy farms.
After recently taking in more dogs from a council pound in Wales, Chancepixies
Animal Rescue, a registered Charity in England and Wales, are all too aware
that these proposals are in no way going to stop any of the problems that
arise from trying to farm domestic animals. You cannot farm domestic animals
without dire consequences, both to the animals and to people. To breed dogs
properly for health, character and conformation it would be impossible to
‘farm’ them and so it would not be viable for puppy farms to continue.
What the Welsh Assembly Government is proposing, with the blessing of other
organisations, is rather like legalising drug dealers or putting a band-aid
on something that needs 20 stitches.
Chancepixies believe that the only way to truly prevent the suffering of dogs
in puppy farms, and any other form of irresponsible breeding, is to tackle
the whole problem, and to admit that there is a problem. “The UK should
not have the stray, unwanted and abandoned dog population that it has, it
should not have the thousands of dogs killed every year for no other reason
than the want of a good home and it should also not have rescue centres full
to the brim with dogs that people have discarded. All this is wrong and needs
to change.”
Over a third of the dogs being bred are ending up being dumped or killed,
so obviously there are too many dogs being bred, and by making breeders responsible,
beyond the point of sale (i.e. for the life-time of the dog approx 10 years),
this would encourage breeders to think very carefully about breeding in the
first place, and also to the homes that they are selling these dogs into,
this would in turn lead to the end of dogs being used as weapons and for fighting
(responsible breeders beget responsible owners).
According to one of the major dog charities there were over 96,000 dogs dumped
or killed in 2009, and so it is not a legitimate business where the supply
so obviously out-weighs the demand. You cannot dump you fridge or your car
in this country without consequences, but you can dump your dog. This is wrong.
The aim for Chancepixies Animal Rescue is to put meaningful, enforceable controls
on the breeding of any dog in the UK. This legislation would comprise of three
key elements; responsibility beyond the point of sale, identification measures
and testing for health, character and conformation.
Chancepixies also add; “To say that it would be acceptable for 1 person
to look after 20 dogs, their welfare, exercise and social needs is unbelievable.
Breeders should be guardians of their breed, breeding to protect and promote
their breed, not to make money. To truly make a difference there needs to
be a complete legislation change, and it can be no less that the legislation
that we are proposing, more details of which can be found at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/control-uk-dog-breeding-now/
Chancepixies Animal Rescue is the only registered Charity in England and Wales
looking to solve the cause of the problem rather than just dealing with the
symptoms!
For more information about Chancepixies or to make a donation, please contact
www.chancepixies.com
enquiries@chancepixies.com
01304 201382
07593160204
Notes for Editor
Thousands of dogs are being dumped and needlessly killed every year
According to a 2007 a report commissioned by the RSPCA and WSPA (World Society
for the Protection of Animals) that investigated stray animal control practises
across Europe, 70% of European countries have compulsory licensing. Britain
is in the 30% minority that does not enforce such controls. The 8 European
countries with good stray control all have legislation for breeding and selling
pets as well as compulsory licensing and identification.
Current legislation sanctions the killing
of dogs after 7 days. Thousands more dogs are alone and unwanted in rescues
up and down the country. Others are causing a threat to the general public
with over 65,000 people a year being admitted to casualty due to dog related
instances
For every dog that is re-homed from a rescue, there are dozens more coming
in. Chancepixies believe dog rescues can inadvertently support the very thing
they are trying to eradicate, “Really, when you look at it, rescues
are supporting puppy farms and irresponsible breeders by taking their dogs
when they are no longer wanted, just for people to go out and do the same
thing all over again. If there were 100,000 dogs in rescue waiting to be re-homed
and 100,000 people stepped forward, another 100,000 would be bred to supply
the demand. With the current system, and even the Welsh Assemblies proposals,
they are not demanding that dog owners or breeders be responsible, so things
pretty much remain the same”.
Due to irresponsible ownership there exists
a top ten most dangerous dog breeds list compiled from killing or seriously
maiming children
Thursday 14th October 2010 saw us again off to Wales to save another 9 dogs after their 7 days were up. After an ealy start (4am), the Chancepixies volunteers David and Freya (and little Jay) arrived back home at just before 3pm with 9 dogs, some eagerly awaiting their new adventure to find a forever home, others very timid and scared of the new surroundings, most were very underweight. All of the dogs were seen by the vet the following afternoon and given a health check (which apart from being underweight and having a few sores, were all given the all clear) they were all given their first vaccination and were microchipped and later wormed.
More details on each dog can be seen on our 'Dogs' page
Below is a short video of the dogs arriving at Chancepixies.
Chancepixies in the Media
Since going live with the petition and thanks to a brilliant press release by volunteer Monique Shaw, Chancepixies Animal Rescue have been on the Radio, TV and in the local and national press.
More details of these can be found on our 'Media' page!
Thank you to all those who supported our Fun Dog Day on Sunday 29th August, it was a brilliant day and we raised a fantastic total of £1316.44!
Many thanks to all those that supported us by attending and got involved, you are the ones that made the day such a success!
With special thanks to: Pedigree Judge - Sally Wallis, Novelty Judges - Hilary Partridge-Duckham (who was kind enough to step in at the last minute!) and Lucy Evernden, Obedience Judges - Val Quick, Fran May and Pam Thorne, Kirsty, Sandra and Christine for organising the event and for the photos, Christine Nichols for the photography competition, and our volunteers on the Entries stand - Victoria, Freya, Laura and Joules, and in the Cafe - Monique, Sophie and Lena, many thanks to Jan and Mike Dougal and friends for donating and manning the stalls and Graham on car park duty! The PA system was a God send, thank you to Matt for his help with this!
Thank you also to the Elham Dog Training Club who put on two excellent displays of obedience!
Chancepixies Animal Rescue Petition goes live!
On Sunday 8th August 2010, Chancepixies Animal Rescues' peteition went live to push for legislation to control UK dog breeding and in so doing stopping the thousands of dogs being needlessly killed, stop irresponsible breeders and puppy farms and promote responsible breeding and protect children and the general public.
To see the petition and show your support click here!
Chancepixies Animal Rescue @ Pets At Home
We were at Pets At Home, Park Farm, Folkestone, Kent over the weekend of the 26th/27th June 2010. Thank you to all the staff and customers that helped us raise funds for our vital work to stop the unnecessary destruction and abandonment of so many thousands of dogs in the UK, as well as to raise awareness of our organisation.
We raised £168.75 for the two days!
A big thank you to all that supported us!
A big 'Thank You!' to Brian and Christine Crittall for asking for donations to Chancepixies Animal Rescue instead of presents for their Golden Wedding Anniversay - they raised a total of £130!
Thank you again Chris and Brian for your support and congratulations on 50 years of marriage!
Response to Dogs Today Magazine - May Edition
On the 15th April 2010 we sent this response to the article written in the Dogs Today magazine, May publication:
Dear Dogs Today,
In response to your article in the May 2010 issue entitles ‘Law and Disorder . . .’
Chancepixies Animal Rescue is a registered animal charity
with a difference!
With the bigger more established organisations seeming to have lost their
way, we think it is time for a fresh look on things.
With statements being made like ‘ . . . while breed specific law is
not easy to enforce at present, there are no viable alternatives and it should
not be repealed’, we know that there are alternatives out there, and
they would be relatively easy to implement!
What Chancepixies Animal Rescue would like to see is the promotion of responsible
breeding and ownership, regulated by ‘Fit for Breeding’ tests.
These types of tests are already in place in some other European countries,
with much success. We are aware that the KC do have the Accredited Breeder
Scheme, but this is an opt in scheme that merely covers one aspect (health)
and as long as you have the tests done it does not matter what the results
are, the puppies will still be registered under the scheme!
These tests should be devised and regulated by the breed enthusiasts (those
that truly care about their chosen breed) and we think it should include aspects
of not just health, but also conformation (the breed should look like what
they are supposed to – no exaggerations etc), character (the dog should
have the personality traits of what the breed was intended to possess –
a lap dog should not be nervous or aggressive, in the same way as a working
dog should be confident and outgoing but at the same time, should not be expected
to be a couch potato!) and also identification (this we believe should be
in the form of microchip and/or tattoo and surely must be coupled with DNA
so that there would be no dispute over parentage or identification thus ruling
out the possibility of Staffies being mistaken for Pit Bulls etc and an end
to falsified pedigrees) such a test would not only ensure the dog was correct
but also that the breeder has a level of knowledge and understanding that
they can pass onto their puppies new owners and also as importantly, we believe
that the breeder should have some responsibility beyond the point of sale,
after all, they took the decision to bring lives into the world – if
you can’t rescue, don’t breed.
Surely then if, as in some other European countries, the KC only register
those puppies that had been born through this scheme, responsible breeding
and ownership will become the norm and less dogs will be sitting unwanted
and abandoned in rescue centres awaiting their first proper chance in their
lives of a responsible home.
So you see there is a sensible alternative, an alternative that already exists
with great success in other European countries and the infrastructure for
such testing is already in place in this country using our existing breed
clubs, health schemes and databases.
Heidi Anderson
Chancepixies Animal Rescue
On 7th April 2010, we travelled with Frodo and Joy to the Toto auditions in the Kennel Club building in Warwickshire for the West End production of the Wizard of Oz. Unfortunately, neither of these wonderful dogs were what they were looking for, but both behaved perfectly and would have been brilliant ambassadors for rescue dogs in the UK!
Chancepixies Animal Rescue . . . to the rescue . . . again!
It was a close call due to van trouble, but on Friday the 12th March 2010 we took the 600 mile round trip to Wales to save 10 dogs from death row.
Amoung those saved were two little Yorkshire Terriers (Sugar & Spice) who were found in a cattle grid completely filthy and so matted it took hours to cut the bedraggled fur from their tiny bodies and Pip a Jack Russell x Dachshund who had been found, abandoned, tied up outside a Cemetary in Wales he was so underweight that he was taken straight to a vet and given a course of anti-biotics, just in case, however, he is fine and clearing what ever food you put in front of him, so hopefully we will soon start to see him put on a bit of weight! Despite their tragic stories, all of the dogs that we rescued, even these three little dogs, are so friendly and trusting that it it is beyond belief what they have been put through.
There are many, many more dogs every week facing the same fate as Sugar, Spice and Pip, please help us to continue to save these dogs now, and to work towards a (not so distant) future when dogs will not face destruction for nothing more than irresponsible breeding and ownership.
We are a Registered Charity we not recieve any outside funding or help, so please help us to help dogs like these, who otherwise would have been killed, by donating what ever you can afford
PETA protestors interrupt judging at Westminster
PETA,
a charity registered in the UK, and are also in various countries across
the world, including the USA, were reported in the Dog World 26/02/2010
edition on the front page under the headline “PETA protestors interrupt
judging at Westminster”.
PETA, it goes on to say, is said to be planning to air a 30 second TV spot
in America to claim that every time someone buys a puppy from a breeder,
it is condemning to death one in a shelter, their advert is also said to
end with “four million un-adopted animals are killed in shelters every
year. Adopt, never buy.”
We are also a UK registered Charity: Chancepixies Animal Rescue, reg charity
no: 1129742. We, however have a slightly different view!
While we do rescue dogs from death row, rehabilitate and rehome, we are
also aware that the problem is not all breeders, but irresponsible ones!
As most rescue centres condemn breeders, to us it is obvious that these
dogs have got here somehow! In this country we do not have a problem with
dogs roaming the streets and so breeding at will, because we have dog wardens
employed by every council to prevent dogs from straying and roaming the
streets.
Our belief is that many breeders are responsible and that if we work together
to devise ‘fit for breeding’ tests for each and every breed,
the day would come when unwanted and abandoned dogs would no longer be killed
on a daily basis.
We are not talking about a ‘knee jerk’ reaction to bad press,
but to cover all aspects – identification, character, conformation
and health – with the added guarantee that anyone making the decision
to bring life (puppies) into the world would, and should, be responsible
beyond the point of sale as dogs, unlike children, never become responsible
for themselves!
So join us to stop the suffering and destruction of dogs. Sign
up online, membership is free, and with your help we will have a bigger
voice. Responsible breeders are not the reason for the four million animals
killed every year. Stand with us and be counted! www.chancepixiesanimalrescue.com
Chancepixies Animal Rescue . . . to the rescue!
A phone call late on Wednesday 17th February 2010, spurred us in to action for the next day. Although on such short notice, dogs were due to be put to sleep if we did not rescue them by the next day, 2- 4 dogs were confirmed as needing our help, but we took extra cages on board . . . just in case!
The following morning, 18th February 2010, saw us heading off on a rescue mission that would take us on a 600 mile round trip to save these little lives. We were glad of the extra cages as a phone call enroute came with information of more dogs needing our help. On reaching our first destination, three dogs (Hope, Joy, Star), were brought out one by one and were settled into the van. Next to be brought on board were Willow and Jake, two friends who were now needing new homes through no fault of their own. We then pushed on to save a dog (Charm) whose life was saved in the nick of time having been marked as PTS for that same day!
So, with 6 dogs on board, the journey home was a happy one. Arriving back at around 10pm, each dog was settled into their awaiting beds at the end of an eventful day.
There are many, many more dogs every week facing the same fate as Charm, please help us to continue to save these dogs now, and to work towards a (not so distant) future when dogs will not face destruction for nothing more than irresponsible breeding and ownership.
We are a Registered Charity we not recieve any outside funding or help, so please help us to help dogs like Charm, who otherwise would have been killed, by donating what ever you can afford
Breed Specific Legislation is rearing its head again.
As published in the Dog World, January 29th 2010, in another European
Country – namely Denmark – they are talking of banning 14
breeds due to the amount of casualties resulting from dog attacks.
Here in the UK we already have four banned breeds, and with lists compiled
of the top ten most dangerous dogs (for killing or causing serious harm
to children) – the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Rottweiler, Akita,
German Shepherd Dog, Pitt Bull, Bull Mastiffs, Husky, English Bull Terrier,
Dobermann and American Bull Dog - it is not beyond the realms of possibilities
that these breeds could be included in legislation. So if you have an
interest in protecting any of these breeds and/or children, the time to
act is now, we all know that once legislative bans are discussed, it is
usually already too late; the writing is on the wall. Surely we should
be looking long term to solve these problems by controlling irresponsible
ownership and breeding, not the breeds, and how long would it be before
all medium to large breeds were in danger of being banned?
It would not be the first time that Governments have decided what is going
to happen regarding our dogs, we cannot afford to sit back and hope that
common sense will prevail, we need to work together now to protect and
promote dogs in this country, to have the enthusiasts who actually have
the knowledge and the breeds best interests at heart controlling them
by way of fit for breeding tests, not the puppy farmers and irresponsible
breeders that seem to control dogs in this country at the moment.
If you agree that the time is right for us to protect our dogs and children,
then join us now. Chancepixies Animal Rescue is willing to take on this
challenge to promote and protect dogs in the UK and will work with breed
rescues, enthusiasts, the general public and other organisations to affect
real change, but we do need extra support, so if you know of anyone that
sees this in the same way then get them to join Chancepixies Animal Rescue
as we need support behind us. Membership is free and can be accessed online
at www.animalrescueuk.com,
join now!
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