Dog Wardens Excluded from Canine Decision Making Process – Claim

At the RSPCA Dangerous Dog conference in London on Tuesday 3rd June 2008, Mr Chris Laurence Veterinary Director of the Dog’s Trust asked during an open question session to senior National Dog Warden Association member Dave Griffiths of East Hampshire District Council, the following question

‘Why has the NDWA withdrawn from various committees’ (or words to that effect)

Mr Griffiths’ reply to Mr Laurence was that ‘I am not a current NDWA committee member, NDWA members are working dog wardens and that NDWA has not withdrawn but has been excluded’

This brave answer summed up in a nutshell the reply to Mr Laurence’s question; Dave answered this whilst sitting on the speaker’s panel.

The very fact that NDWA were not represented or invited to the RSPCA conference itself shows they were indeed excluded from a very important debate on a range of subjects that affect dog wardens in their everyday work.

NDWA has always been opponents of the Dangerous Dogs Act from its very inception and was one of the very first ‘deed’ not ‘breed’ organizations, when others were enthusiastically adhering to this Act.

In October 2007 at Birmingham, senior NDWA member Cuthbert Jackson presented a series of ‘thoughts’ on various issues that affect dangerous dog legislation, dog control and responsible dog ownership. One of the ideas presented was compulsory insurance via insurance companies as a potential method of compulsory registration.

Dave Griffiths in his presentation in London managed to get this idea across to delegates, but why was Cuthbert Jackson or another NDWA speaker not invited to present this alternative idea to dog registration?

Unfortunately NDWA is excluded from a number of committees and working groups, the reason for this exclusion though needs to come from the committee’s themselves into why NDWA is not included?

Elsewhere on www.NDWA.co.uk and also www.dogmagazine.net, I have written an article that recognises that the time for diverse organisations involved in dog related issues put aside their differences and work together for animal and dog welfare is long overdue.

The continuing exclusion of NDWA from various committees and working groups is not the way forward however.

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Tags:  Social Issues