Legislation:

The information below is applicable when animals are kept in animal shelters:

Whether you keep animals as pets or for other reasons, you should consider the welfare/wellbeing of animals. Recognise the type of animal(s) you intend to keep & their requirements such as:

• The costs of keeping animals include feeding & vet fees.
• What sort of & the quantity of food they require
• What size & type of accommodation the animal will need
• Pet insurance is vital as this will cover most health problems. Note: the cost of insurance may depend on the health, age & the sort of pet(s) you intend on keeping. 

Consider their freedom requirements:

Freedom from hunger & thirst

Freedom to express normal behaviour

Freedom from discomfort

Freedom from pain, injury & disease

Freedom from fear & distress  

Why are animals brought into Animal Welfare Centres such as, RSPCA & how does this affect their health & wellbeing?

Animals are brought into centres like RSPCA for a number of reasons ranging from:

1)     Cruelty & or neglect. This means owners might have to attend court to determine what & if any action will be taken depending on what evidence there is to prosecute offenders against. Animals that have suffered cruelty come under “Welfare”. This can be a long drawn process & animals may be kept at a centre for a prolonged time pending enquiry. When a final decision is reached in court, this will usually shorten the length of time that an animal will spend at RSPCA or other centres alike.

2)     Animals found straying & waiting to be claimed or re-homed

3)     A change in circumstances for owners where they can no longer keep pet(s) These changes can range from,

      Allergy to animal

      Behavioural problems of their pet

      Moving house or emigrating

      Owners starting a family

      Financial problems

      Death of previous owner

The Disadvantage to Keeping Animals Confined in Centres such as RSPCA:

A change in environment can be stressful, confusing to an animal. This is quite common in dogs as they can develop, Kennel Stress where a dog will display discontented behaviour like, jumping around in the kennel, run round in circles, become destructive to their bedding & toys. Constant barking is often a sign of discontent/stress. When a dog displays its frustration by barking, this may give potential new owners the impression a dog is aggressive when this is not usually so. Therefore, such a dog will spend longer in kennels & this could cause further distress. Dogs have been known to damage their tails in kennels from stress.

I remember a greyhound cared for called “Tommy” who damaged his tail from being discontented in his kennel at RSPCA. This resulted in him having a small section of the tail removed. It was later discovered by the vet that the whole tail had split so it was decided to amputate the remaining portion of his tail.

As for greyhounds & other breeds alike, they may spend longer in kennels, as many people think greyhounds & other similar breeds need more exercise when this is clearly just a myth. Such dogs don’t require any more exercise than your pampered poodle, mongrel or other breeds. It is true that greyhounds & other breeds alike run faster but they only run for a short time span. In fact, many owners of greyhounds have noted that their dog is very lazy in the home. Note: Racing greyhounds only race until they are up to five years of age depending on the individual dog. Why can a greyhound run so fast? Such dogs have the ability to run so fast as they have what’s known as, the “Double Suspension Gallop” meaning the front legs go out all the way directly in front of them & the back legs go all the way behind. This is made possible as when a greyhound is running at such high speed, all four legs lift completely of the ground. This is relating to their back structure.

Note: Greyhounds & other breeds alike were originally use for “coursing” meaning, to hunt, chase & catch hare. Other breeds alike are the Saluki, Whippet & Lutcher. These breeds are in the category of, (Sight-hounds).

Lost & found: Animals that are found straying are often brought into animal shelters in the hope the owner will contact the centre to collect. Dogs are sometimes brought in by council dog wardens, police or sometimes a concerned member of the public may find a stray. The animal will be checked to see if they have a chip inserted that will hold vital information such as the name & address of the owner. The stray is likely to undergo a medical & behaviour assessment. Note: It is law that an animal such as a dog or cat has to be held as a stray for upto 7 days before being put up for re-homing if the owner doesn’t claim their lost pet. If the owner can be traced & they arrive to collect their pet, they will need to bring proof of identity & proof of ownership of the stray. There will usually be a fee that has to be paid before they can reclaim their pet. The charge will cover kennel costs, food that has been provided & other handling charges may be added depending on circumstances.      

Reasons for keeping animals confined & restricting exercise:

An animal being infirm, elderly, have an illness or disease that restricts their daily movement. The risk of "Zoonosis" may occur (illness or disease being passed to other species). If the illness or disease is not a Zoonosis, this means that it is confined to the same specie. Still take the same precaution when exercising, as an ill animal could come in to contact with other animals of the same specie.

                                      (See more on medical info on the page,

                                                     In sickness & Health)