- Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH) Conference 2024, 14 – 15 May 2024, Telford International Centre, UK.
We are delighted to attend the UK’s largest animal welfare event, hosting around 500 delegates from across the UK, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands, and Isle of Man. This event brings together multiple stakeholder groups to share best practice in animal care, welfare, veterinary advances, new technologies, latest techniques, science and research findings, the latest in behaviour and training, as well as regulatory and legislative issues facing the rescue sector.
- Invitation to ‘Dog Law Toolkit’ Launch. Moot Court Room, Law School, Queens University Belfast 1 – 3.30 PM Monday 24th June 2024
The research team are hosting an end of project event at Queens University Belfast Law School in collaboration with the Charity Law and Policy Unit at the University of Liverpool. This event, which is by invitation only, aims to disseminate findings and legal resources from the project. Please email us with any questions about the event or if you are interested to attend.
To view the visual material, CLICK HERE
- ‘The State of UK Rescue’, Tuesday 20th February 2024, Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London, UK.
On 20th of February 2024, we will be attending the All-Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group (APDAWG). These annual meetings provide a forum to discuss current issues exacerbating the ongoing crisis facing UK rescues, not least the cost-of-living crisis coupled with the recent XL bully ban. Bringing together a diverse range of voices from across the rescue sector, this provides a valuable opportunity for rescues to voice concerns, share experience, and work together to propose solutions.
- ‘Regulating Dog Rescues: Developing A ‘Legal Toolkit’, 25th October 2023, Stormont Parliament, Belfast.
We were delighted to be invited to present at the ‘Animal Welfare: How do we improve the health and wellbeing of dogs?’ Conference, held at Stormont on the 25th of October 2023. Hosted by our collaborator, Causeway Coast Dog Rescue, this event brought together key stakeholders including representatives from local and central government, MLAs, representatives from other regulatory bodies (including the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes and the Kennel Club) as well as other academics.
Our paper entitled ‘‘Regulating Dog Rescues: Developing A Legal ‘Toolkit’ for Northern Ireland’’ outlined our preliminary findings as well as encouraging feedback on the intended aims and objectives of our online dog law toolkit (slides available here).
Other speakers at this event included Giles Webber (Association of Dogs and Cats Homes/Birmingham Dogs Home), Lisa Nugent, Caz Stanford & Scott Fryer (Battersea Dog and Cats Home), Tara Cunningham, Dr Carol McClenahan & Margaret Dimsdale-Bobby (Causeway Coast Dog Rescue), Tim Doyle (Welsh Greyhound Rescue) and Dr Grace Carroll (Queens University Belfast).
To view the visual material, CLICK HERE
- Puppy Pandemic: Regulating Animal Rescues in the UK in the Wake of Covid-19 workshop, 8th of July 2022. Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.
To inform preliminary arguments regarding the need for regulatory reform of dog rescues and how this was heightened by the pandemic we invited key stakeholders in the sector. Generous funding from the Social and Legal Studies Workshop Fund and Liverpool’s School of Law & Social Justice Research Development Fundallowed us to host a one-day workshop at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, London. This brought together 22 participants, including representatives from DEFRA, regulatory bodies such as the Kennel Club, large national rescues (Battersea, RSPCA, Dogs Trust etc) as well as a handful of smaller ones and specialist lawyers, vets and academics to share experiences. This addressed the impact of Covid-19 on rescues sought their views about regulation across the devolved jurisdictions. Participants also recounted experiences of previous reform initiatives.
For more information on this event plus preliminary findings please see our blog HERE
- Governance of Dog Rescues: Addressing Post-Pandemic Challenges in a Period of Austerity, 27th of June 2023, The Kennel Club Head Office, London.
In conjunction with our collaborator the Kennel Club we invited 26 Kennel Club breed specific rescues to the Kennel Club’s head office in Mayfair, to participate in a workshop and focus groups examining their attitudes towards regulation of rescue organisations. As trustees of North West Springer Spaniel Rescue we are very aware that bigger national rescues have, to date, tended to dominate discussions around regulation. To address this we sought to hear the views of breed specific rescues about the prospect of regulation of the rescue sector as well as exploring the challenges unique to different models of breed specific rescue. The focus group data from this event contributes towards an evidence base to explore the case for legal change.
To view the visual material, CLICK HERE