Gundog victory in Parliament. BASC press release.

[Simon Clarke]

Gundogs exempted from tail docking ban.

 

15th March 2006………………………………………….immediate release.

 

In a victory for animal welfare, working dogs can continue to have their tails docked to prevent injury after MPs voted to exclude them from a general ban on cosmetic docking in England and Wales.

 

The result followed a series of votes on the Animal Welfare Bill in the House of Commons last night. It was the culmination of a six week period of intense lobbying by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) to make the case for the exemption.

 

BASC Director of Communications, Christopher Graffius said “The vote was won by a coalition of MPs from all parties who saw the sense of exempting working dogs from a ban. It demonstrates the effectiveness of BASC’s strategy of working with all political parties to seek a dialogue and support for shooting. I am delighted by this result, which is a victory for common sense and the welfare of working dogs.”

 

Thousands of BASC members wrote to and emailed their MPs and sent in lobby cards provided by BASC. Gundogs and their handlers went to the Houses of Parliament in February as part of a BASC organised event to meet MPs in person and to show that docking a working dog can benefit the animal.

 

BASC representatives spent weeks meeting MPs. At BASC’s request supportive MPs from all parties wrote to their colleagues asking them to back the amendment. BASC wrote two separate briefing letters in the run up to the debate. In the final hours before the vote BASC emailed MPs to counter misinformation being spread by campaigners for a complete ban and again to pass on details of support from the Association of Chief Police Officers for an exemption for dogs used in law enforcement.

 

Christopher Graffius said “We worked closely with DEFRA to frame an exemption which would be acceptable to MPs. We have lobbied MPs, opposition parties, Government whips, ministers and Number 10 to seek maximum backing in the vote. The BASC campaign was supported by other organisations such as the Countryside Alliance, The Council for Docked Breeds and the Country Land and Business Association who ran their own lobbies, often with limited resources, and have all helped to persuade MPs to support an exemption for working dogs.” ENDS.

 

For more details call the BASC press office on 01244 573031

[Deako]

Well done Simon and all the BASC team.

[dazza]

well done

[Browning]

Now that is very good news. Well done everyone who worked on this.

[MC]

Couldn't agree more, I think it is the result that we all wanted.

 

Well done to everyone involved

 

Cheers

 

MC

[tenbears10]

Well done Simon. Sometimes the government do listen then.

[rarms]

How would one prove that my their dog is a gundog?

[plexer]

I suppose a puppy has to come from a gundog line for it to be classed as a working dog under the exemption so that it's tail can be docked however this doesn't mean that it will then spend it's life working?

 

Ben

[beatingisbest]

i dont have a dog but i am still happy for people with dogs and the future of our country sports.

[Ferret Master]

Hi,

 

That is great news! :thumbs: WELL DONE BASC! :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:

 

FM

[mossy835]

basc did do something then.

[lurcherboy]

Common sense has shown through.

 

It would seem letter writing does have a place.

 

 

 

 

 

LB

[henry d]

docking in England and Wales.

So whats happening here in Scotland??

[Topgunners]

Yo Henry.

 

 

ALL scotsmen WILL have their tails docked!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

:thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:

 

:*) :*) :*) :*) :*) :*)

Edited March 15, 2006 by Topgunners

[webber]

Excellent news. I trust that those who joined CPSA for cheap insurance have taken note of the work done by BASC.

 

webber

[Dunkield]

So whats happening here in Scotland??

 

Not much last time I was there :thumbs: :thumbs:

[MC]

I would have thought that only dogs classified as gundog breeds would be allowed to be docked.

Otherwise every breeder will have to apply for a SGC.

 

Cheers

 

MC

[Cranfield]

Article from the Countryside Alliance website, just to show there was more than one dog in this fight (excuse the pun :thumbs: ).

Also a bit more information on the process of getting exemption from the docking requirements.

 

Strict exemption will allow docking of working dogs to continue.

Wednesday, 15 March 2006

 

An attempt to ban all docking of dogs tails failed by 11 votes at the Report Stage of the Animal Welfare Bill in the House of Commons last night, after a concerted lobbying campaign inside and outside Westminster by a coalition of organisations.

 

The Countryside Alliance, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation and the Country Land and Business Association all actively campaigned for the welfare of working dogs.

 

Under the Bill a vet will have to certify that the dog is likely to work in security, search and rescue, pest control or lawful shooting activities later in life and docked dogs will have to be identity chipped before three months of age. Defra have not yet announced the documentation that will be needed to support certification, but it may include the production of a firearms certificate or a counter signatory system similar to that for shotgun certificates.

 

Simon Hart, Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance said: “There could not be a better example of the importance of co-ordinated lobbying by a coalition of organisations. Our campaign revealed that contrary to the claims of the animal rights lobby there was no majority of public support for a total ban and there were senior vets who argued that the welfare of working dogs was best protected by allowing the practice to continue.

 

“Working with the Government we produced a compromise that will be practical for the shooting community and which, crucially, gave MPs confidence that only working dogs would continue to be docked.

 

“But this vote could not have been won without the input of thousands of ordinary working dog owners making the case to their MPs up and down the country. Constituency lobbying of MPs by the voters who elect them is always more effective than even the best Westminster lobbying operation.

 

“This vote was far too close for comfort and the lesson for the shooting community is clear: lobbying and campaigning does work, but we must become more organised, motivated and effective to fight for shooting at Westminster and in constitiuencies.

[Highlander]

The Countryside Alliance, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation and the Country Land and Business Association all actively campaigned for the welfare of working dogs.

...and proved yet again the need for one BIG countryside organisation to take on the powers that be!

 

In spite of that...well done everybody!

[Piebob]

So whats happening here in Scotland??

 

My understanding is that the bill has had it's first reading, and that the previously held stance of an exemption for working dogs was u-turned. So, unless sufficient lobbying is done by all those interested to have another u-turn, we will not have the exemption for working dogs.

 

I believe there are another two stages (2 & 3) of the Bill, with stage 3 being the vote - so we need to be lobbying MSPs as much as possible. I think that at least one MSP has already put in for an amendment at stage 2 and will do again at stage 3 if nothing changes.

 

The Scottish Executive have taken the stance of the Royal College of Vets without heed of any other interested parties.

[old rooster]

It ain't over yet but we're over the first hurdle.

 

I'll be setting up my own business doing game handling courses, using my shotgun certificate to verify that dogs are going to be used for working. I'll bung in a low cost chipping service as well. Once things busy up a bit I'll employ a few illegal immigrants to run things on my behalf.

 

Thinking of adding a course on dealing with saboteurs for shoot organisers.

 

The current police stance on this is that when legitimate shooting is taking place on private land any group of tresspassers can confront the shooters wherupon they should "unload their guns, return them to their gun slips and procede quietly without argument to the shooting lodge". No doubt once this has been given further consideration by the loonies advising us they will add "Wherupon the anti's may burn down the lodge around your ears without fear of prosecution"

 

I'm still betting evens at best for our side of the tail docking ban to win through in a workable fashion. Cynical, moi :thumbs:

 

Anybody fancy a whip round to send in a "loan" to the labour party ?, we could later decline the repayment opting instead to "own" a peer who could then represent our interests.

[old rooster]

docking in England and Wales.

So whats happening here in Scotland??

By the looks of you avatar some eating of raw liver and lightly grilled brains ?? :thumbs:

[Marc M]

I was speaking to Mr Graffius in my shop a week last Saturday and he informed me of this victory for working breeds being exempt from the new bill, the fruits of 6 weeks hard lobbying by many at the BASC in London.

 

Hats off to you all chaps, a victory for common sense in a country run by ignorant beaurocrats.