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Winter is upon us and with it comes potential new dangers for dogs, both inside and outside of the home.

New research from Direct Line Pet Insurance reveals only two-fifths of dog owners are aware of the seasonal issues their dogs may face in winter, although more than half of dog owners admit they are fearful of the hidden dangers lurking underfoot when walking their dog.

With fewer hours of daylight, dog owners need to be more careful as hidden dangers such as nettles, broken glass, pieces of metal and even fallen fruits, that can be harmful to your dog if eaten, can be discreetly hidden in their path.

Amongst hidden dangers, the research revealed fireworks and seasonal canine illness cause the most anxiety for dog owners during winter, followed by sniffing pesticides, eating poisonous foods and the risk of frostbite as a result of freezing temperatures were also amongst other worries for dog owners.

The most common poison dogs will encounter during winter

Antifreeze poisoning is a common type of poisoning dogs may face this season. It typically happens when liquid drips from a car’s radiator and is licked off the ground and ingested by a pet.

Direct Line found nearly a quarter of dogs harmed in winter months had been harmed due to antifreeze.

Throughout winter, dog owners may naturally reduce the time they spend outdoors with their pet because of lighting and colder temperatures, with a third of dog owners admitting they change their habitual walks during winter by the length of time, route and even the time of day they walk their dog.

Commenting on the survey’s findings, Madeleine Pike, Veterinary Nurse at Direct Line, said: “With shorter days and fewer hours of sunlight in winter, the hazards outside of the home for dogs can be less obvious. Hidden dangers on walks, licking spilt antifreeze and eating fallen fruits can cause severe injury to dogs and can make them very unwell. We encourage owners to be extra cautious of the outdoor risks that can occur this season.

“Similar threats can be found inside the home. It’s common for visitors to have the tendency to sneakily feed ’treats’ to your pet. Chocolates, nuts and raisins are just some of the foods which are poisonous to dogs and can lead to severe indigestion and distress. With smaller dogs like Chihuahuas, Terriers and Pugs, it could be catastrophic. We urge all dog owners to be aware of what their pet is eating this winter and stick to dog friendly treats.”

Watch out for these festive dangers inside the home

Over 1000 claims made throughout last year were made because of pets being poisoned from plants and foods, so it’s important that owners are aware of the potential dangers.

A fifth of dog owners worry about the harm festive plants can have on their pet indoors. Festive foliage such as mistletoe, poinsettia and holly begin to make an appearance and can irritate dogs’ fur, and if swallowed, can lead to poisoning.

Direct Line’s tips for protecting pets this winter

1. After a walk, take a few seconds to look for any wounds, cuts or injuries on your dog

2. Salt and grit used on roads in winter can irritate a pet’s paws. If you use salt around your home, choose a pet-safe product

3. If you can, try to walk your dog when it is light or in well-lit areas and parks so that hazards can be more visible

4. Only treat your pets to dog friendly foods. Be cautious of what friends and family may give your dog as a “treat”

5. Keep your dog warm with protective blankets. Overnight temperatures can massively drop, and dogs can run the risk of getting hypothermia.

If owners feel that their dog has eaten something that they shouldn’t or if they have any concerns, Direct Line Pet customers can connect with a vet 24/7 through PawSquad which is provided for free with their pet policy. If in doubt customers should get their pet to the vet immediately.

Twenty eight years ago, Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 which includes Section 1, the prohibition of four types of dogs considered ‘dangerous’ due to their appearance, was introduced into UK legislation. As a result, thousands of dogs have lost their lives based on how they look rather than act.

As we mark the anniversary of the introduction of the law, animal welfare organisation, the RSPCA, are calling on the UK Government to review the Dangerous Dogs Act, while releasing a series of images in memory of five of the dogs who have lost their lives due to this unjust law, which judges dogs predominantly on their appearance.

Dr Samantha Gaines, an RSPCA dog welfare expert and lead author of the Breed Specific Legislation: A Dog’s Dinner report, said: “The law is letting down dogs who look a certain way, who have specific measurements, or who tick an unfortunate number of boxes on a list. This is unfair, unjust and wrong.

“The Dangerous Dogs Act was a knee-jerk piece of legislation, introduced in response to a series of high profile dog attacks. But in the 28 years since its inception, hospital admissions due to dog bites have continued to rise, tragic fatalities as a result of dog incidents have continued, and thousands of dogs have needlessly lost their lives.

“It’s high time the UK Government respond to the scientific research, follow in the footsteps of other nations around the world who have repealed BSL and do, not just what is right for dogs, but for public safety and ensure both are better protected.”

Breed specific legislation – or BSL – prohibits the owning, breeding, selling, advertising or rehoming of four types of dogs: Pit bull terrier, Japanese tosa, Fila Brasiliero and Dogo Argentino. All four types of dogs were traditionally bred for fighting but there is no robust scientific evidence to suggest that any pose greater risk of being aggressive or causing more damage should they bite.

In the UK, any dog suspected of being a prohibited type will be assessed by a police dog legislation officer and compared with a breed standard. Depending on how closely the dog matches the standard they could be identified as being of type. Their parentage and genetics will not be considered as part of the assessment. For some dogs, being identified as a prohibited type means living with lifelong restrictions but for others, the way they look is a death sentence.

In 2018, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Select Committee launched an inquiry into the legislation and recommended that the Government urgently review the law, particularly around Section 1.

The legislation makes it illegal to rehome or give away any dogs that have been identified as a prohibited type which means it is illegal for the RSPCA to find new homes for these dogs even if they would otherwise be considered ideal for rehoming with a family. This means that legally we are forced to put them to sleep which is extremely distressing for our staff and volunteers who form close bonds with these dogs.

This week, the charity is profiling five dogs who were all euthanised due to BSL:

Diesel was rescued by the RSPCA in 2017 and staff loved his playful side. A staff member who cared for him said: “Diesel loved playing fetch.”

Cookie was taken in by the charity in 2018. She was described as “loving and playful” by those who looked after her.

Jasper and Jet were rescued in a dog fighting operation in 2016. RSPCA staff who rehabilitated them said: “Jasper loved a fuss and Jet’s favourite time of day was walkies.”

Rocky arrived in RSPCA care in 2018. Staff fell in love with him as he was described as the “friendliest dog on the block”.

Dr Gaines added: “Defra has commissioned research by Middlesex University and we’re awaiting the results. We hope that this will show once and for all that BSL has no scientific basis, is ineffective and needs urgent repeal.

“Breed or type is not a good predictor of risk. Whether a dog chooses to use aggression is extremely complex and depends on their breeding, rearing and early-life experiences.

“Unfortunately BSL can mislead people to believe that some breeds of dogs are safe when any dog has the potential to bite – and that’s why it’s so important that adults and children know how to interact safely with dogs and what warning signs to look out for that suggest a dog is uncomfortable. It’s also incredibly important that dog owners are responsible with their pets, keep them under control in public places and speak to a vet or clinical animal behaviourist if they show any concerning behaviour.

“BSL fails to protect public safety and seriously compromises dog welfare. We’re calling for the general public to help us stand up and speak up for these dogs.”

At least 1,400 dogs have died as a result of an ongoing rabies outbreak scare in Thailand – a scare that by all verifiable accounts is not real, according to Thailand based charity, Soi Dog Foundation.

The animal welfare charity tells us that a couple of weeks ago three thousand dogs were rounded up in Nakhon Phanom province, which borders the Mekong River, and dumped in a government pound. In the crowded conditions, diseases, particularly deadly parvo and distemper, spread like wildfire.

In such close quarters, fights between dogs and death by starvation of small or sickly dogs, unable to compete for food, added to the toll.

However for the 1,500 dogs who remain, there is now some hope because an Emergency Reaction Team from the Soi Dog Foundation were given permission to go into the pound to treat the dogs inside.

The sight that greeted them was grim.

One member of the emergency medical team described it. “I would like to stay positive, but I can’t,’ he said.

“The pound is overcrowded and dog fights break out all the time. When it is feeding time, the weaker dogs don’t have the strength to eat. So the stronger dogs take all the food and the weaker ones don’t survive.

“The dogs are scared, depressed, and traumatised by their experience. It’s hard to stay positive about this place. It’s simply heartbreaking.”

Upon arrival, the team first sorted the dogs.

The small dogs, the puppies, and the weak were separated from the large dogs, and as none of the animals are yet sterilised, the males were separated from the females.

They also did the same with cats that had been rounded up by the local office of the Thai government’s Livestock Department.

They then vaccinated every animal in the pound – injecting 60 an hour and daubing them afterwards with green dye so that no animal would be vaccinated twice by mistake.

The animals may survive but they now face spending the rest of their lives in captivity. This is because officials kept no record of where each dog came from, so they cannot be returned to their home territory.

In any case, those territories have already most likely been taken over by stronger, fitter or more wily dogs who managed to avoid the government dragnet.

The deaths in the pound are not the only ones to result from official knee-jerk reactions to a public panic over a “rabies outbreak” in Thailand that started in the new year. The panic has resulted in public calls for all eight million street dogs in Thailand to be killed, a “solution” dubbed “Set Zero”.

In March, 20 dogs in a Buddhist temple in the upper south of the country, including a family of puppies, were poisoned by government officials, causing outrage among animal lovers.

Poisoning – in Thailand usually using strychnine – results in a horribly painful death for the animals, that spend hours shuddering and spasming in agony, drowning in their own fluids, before death finally comes.

The officials later claimed that tests had shown that 16 of the 20 poisoned animals had rabies, but the test results were never released, leading to widespread suspicion that they were made up.

A number of activist groups have come together to bring criminal charges against the officials concerned, under Thailand’s Animal Cruelty Law.

The Thai Livestock Department has come under fire for not reassuring people that there is, in fact, no rabies outbreak at all, and for its inept and understaffed handling of captured dogs.

In March, fuel was added to the flames when the department also came under scrutiny over alleged irregularities in its procurement of poor quality canine rabies vaccine.

An internal investigation came to the conclusion there had been no irregularity, and that inferior-quality vaccine had not been the cause of a spike in rabies deaths at the beginning of the year.

However, the reports of poor quality vaccine had already spread, resulting in the calls for “Set Zero”. The department has denied having any plans to kill all stray dogs in Thailand.

Thailand has in fact been effective in reducing human deaths from rabies from hundreds a year in the 1990s to single figures in recent years.

In 2018, to date, there have been just seven human rabies deaths.

The Nakhon Phanom emergency is not the first time that Soi Dog has stepped in to save animals, particularly dogs, after the government has proved unable or unwilling to do so.

In 2010 it sprang into action to successfully contain an outbreak of parvo disease through a massive vaccination programme. In 2011, it rescued thousands of dogs from devastating flooding in Bangkok and in 2016/17 it did the same during floods in the south of Thailand.

Soi Dog – founded in 2003 by husband and wife John and Gill Dalley from Leeds in the United Kingdom – also played the leading role in stopping the horrific trade in dogs from Thailand to the dog meat restaurants of Vietnam.

It has launched an appeal for funds to help tackle the fallout from the rabies panic, such as the horror in Nakon Phanom. People may donate through the Soi Dog website at www.soidog.org