RSPCA measures 'animal footprint' with new report
The RSPCA has just published the report: The Welfare State: Measuring Animal Welfare in the UK 2006 , a statistical analysis of animal welfare in the UK. The annual report considers 35 animal welfare indicators relating to wildlife, farm animals, research animals and pets. Key findings concerning pets include: The majority of dogs and cats in the UK (84%) are still not microchipped. Since 2004, the number of dog fights reported to the RSPCA has increased 5 fold. In 2006, local authorities had to deal with 50,000 stray dogs. As few as one in five pet shops selling ‘exotic’ animals such...