Pets

Italy Passes Landmark Animal Welfare Law: Harsh Penalties for Abuse, Puppy Trafficking, and Animal Violence

In a sweeping reform of animal protection legislation, Italy has enacted a new law introducing stringent penalties for violence against animals, including significant prison terms and fines for crimes such…

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Price of owning a dog in the UK has gone up by 9%

Dog owners are increasingly switching to cheaper foods, or even considering giving up their pet, as "dogflation" continues to significantly outstrip the CPI rate. Last week the ONS revealed inflation for…

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Pets left in limbo as Australian owners get cold feet

SYDNEY, (Reuters) - Australian animal shelters are overflowing, and the wait to return animals can be as long as eight months as pet owners return to work and face rising…

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Cash-strapped Britons give up pets as living costs soar

LONDON (Reuters) - Stood on her hind legs to greet any prospective owner who might approach her glass-doored kennel, Harriet is a black English cocker spaniel abandoned as a deepening…

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Dog owners in Sicily must now wash away pets’ urine as well

As well as picking up their pets' excrement, dog owners in Sicily will now have to wash away their urine under a regional law approved by the Sicilian Assembly (ARS)…

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Air Canada temporarily bans pets from baggage hold, cites delays

MONTREAL (Reuters) - Air Canada AC.TO said it will not allow animals in the baggage hold until Sept. 12 due to "longer than usual" delays at airports, as carriers and airports wrestle with complaints over lost…

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Spain to consider pets’ welfare in divorce battles

Spain will consider a pet's welfare when couples divorce or break-up from this week in a legal shift that strengthens the case for couples obtaining shared custody of their animals.…

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UK government plans new pet abduction offence after rise in thefts

The British government said on Friday it was planning to make pet abduction a criminal offence in England after a rise in the theft of animals, especially dogs, during the…

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Britain’s cats and dogs face pet-food pouch shortage

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's growing ranks of cats and dogs could be left staring at empty bowls after Sainsbury's, the nation's second biggest supermarket group, warned of a shortage of…

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New law in Germany will see dog owners walk their pets twice a day

Germany’s dog owners will soon to be ordered by law to walk their pets twice a day, The Guardian reports. The country’s agriculture minister, Julia Klöckner, has said she is…

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WHO reiterates: “Very little risk” pets can infect owners with COVID

The World Health Organization again said there's 'very little risk' that pets can infect their owners with COVID-19. Soumya Swaminathan, WHO's chief scientist said "There's very little risk from domestic…

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Two cats in New York state become first US pets to test positive for coronavirus

Two pet cats in New York state have tested positive for the coronavirus, marking the first confirmed cases in companion animals in the US, federal officials said Wednesday. The cats,…

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Second Chinese city bans eating dogs and cats

A second city in China has banned the eating of dog and cat meat in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The city of Zhuhai follows the example by Shenzen…

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French to be allowed outside to adopt a pet

France has decided to allow people outside to adopt a pet from animal shelters, despite strict home confinement measures to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. The interior ministry announced on Saturday…

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China’s Shenzhen bans the eating of cats and dogs after coronavirus

The Chinese city of Shenzhen has banned the eating of dogs and cats as part of a wider clampdown on the wildlife trade since the emergence of the new coronavirus.…

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Pet cat tests positive for coronavirus in Hong Kong

A pet cat has tested positive for the coronavirus in Hong Kong after its owner was confirmed with having the virus, the city’s Agricultural and Fisheries department said, cautioning…

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MEPs want EU to make identification of animals compulsory

MEPs voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday in favour of a compulsory continent-wide system of identification for cats and dogs. The proposal is contained in a non-binding resolution calling for measures against…

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Thousands of abandoned pets ‘at risk of starving to death’ in coronavirus-hit areas in China

Thousands of pets trapped in the epicentre of China's deadly coronavirus outbreak are at risk of starving to death, according to animal rescuers and activists. The warning comes as campaigners…

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French Minister for European Affairs names her cat Brexit

Update: Despite reports to the contrary, French Europe Minister Nathalie Loiseau has not named her cat "Brexit", her office said on Tuesday France’s minister for European affairs was reported saying…

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Thursday Morning Briefing

Good morning, Our Morning Briefing for today follows: Malta: Foreign Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela yesterday conceded that the Europe Union still had a lot of work to do when it came…

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