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Pet obesity is no laughing matter.

We should view obesity in pets as an act of causing unnecessary suffering in the same way as starving an animal.

Obese dog Animal rights and Wrongs

It is a sad reflection of our attitude to animals that we are happy to upload videos concerning pet obesity onto social media sites like YouTube which ridicule fat animals that are struggling to walk, stand or perform natural behaviours. Many seem to find this entertaining, which is clear by the fact the “Likes” on these videos always out-number the thumbs down.

The video below, which rightly disgusted one of my friends who shared it with me, is as she inferred in her post, a good advert for viewing the act of overfeeding an animal a prosecutable offence. It is just as much causing unnecessary suffering as starving an animal to near death.

“Canine obesity classed as a disease”

Obesity in pets has been in the news recently and countless surveys have shown that just like humans over-feeding and obesity in our pets is on the increase. According to a British Veterinary Association (BVA) survey which polled 1,600 vets, 60% said obesity is the biggest health and welfare concern for UK pets. A recent World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) One Health meeting officially classed canine obesity as a disease.

Pet obesity is a potential killer.

Prof. Susan Dawson, President of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) stated: “All companion animals deserve a nutritionally balanced diet; in fact it is a requirement of the Animal Welfare Acts”. 

“A case of killing with kindness”

Gudrun Ravetz, President of the BVA has said: “Obesity is a potential killer for pets and many owners show love for their pet through food, but often this is a case of killing with kindness – most animals would instead enjoy playing or interacting with their owner just as much as getting a treat”. Source

In the USA 60% of cats and 56% of dogs are judged as obese. A 2017 study of over 1600 dogs in the UK showed that 65% of dogs over 2 years old were overweight and 9% clinically obese. Source

Dogs under 2 years old fared little better with 37% overweight and 3% obese. Obesity is a life threatening ailment and can lead to a variety of conditions such as shortened lifespan, heart disease, kidney and respiratory problems, strain on joints, arthritis and diabetes.

If the situation is so serious why do we not treat pet obesity more seriously?

None of the publicity asks the vital question of whether we should consider the act of over-feeding a pet as an act of causing unnecessary suffering or cruelty particularly when it reaches the point of preventing the animal from enjoying its natural behaviours and functioning as a normal dog or cat.

Despite all the evidence that it causes an animal harm and is avoidable we  just view the owners as misinformed and ignorant souls who need educating. We do not take the animal from their care or prosecute them when in many cases it is obvious that the animal is suffering both mentally and physically. We have a similar situation when it involves children.

Obesity in cats, overweight cat,
Cats are just as susceptible to obesity as dogs.

There is a lot of ringing of hands in the veterinary profession of not taking the subject seriously enough and not doing enough to combat obesity in pets particularly dogs, but blaming vets for not weighing dogs and recording notes during consultations is not really the answer.

Pet obesity the fault lies with the irresponsible owners.

Vets are busy enough as it is without having to take on what is the responsibility of the owners who must be aware of when their pet is getting overweight and capable of doing something about it. Surveys suggest that 33% of owners only take their dog for a short walk once a day if they are lucky, 68% do not check they are feeding the right amount for the size of animal, 26% feed leftovers and 30% never check their pets’ weight. Are these the actions of a responsible owner?

I firmly believe that overfeeding a dog or cat and allowing it to become morbidly overweight equates to causing it unnecessary suffering and is an act of cruelty and must dealt with in the same way as an animal that has been almost starved to death. Removal of a pet should also be considered as owners often lack the will-power and ability to diet their pets, which is clear by them allowing it to happen in the first place.

It is no laughing matter for any animal that has been allowed to get in this state.

Toto the baby gorilla, international wildlife law and me

The smuggling of apes and other endangered wildlife has happened for decades and authorities can never seem to control the illicit trade despite international laws.

Recently there was publicity in the media about the smuggling of baby chimpanzees and it took me back forty years to my days at Heathrow Airport where I was confronted with the same situations.  It is so frustrating and depressing to realise that authorities are so incapable of solving such issues after decades of abuse by the illicit pet trade of chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans.

On the 31st August 1979 while performing my duties as an animal health inspector at London Heathrow Airport and patrolling the cargo sheds I was approached by cargo staff and informed of a crate containing a “monkey” that they were concerned about.

This monkey was an endangered baby lowland gorilla dressed in a woollen jumper that had been accepted by the airline and transported unaccompanied without any thought to its welfare. She was only 10- 12 weeks old and like a human baby obviously needed  regular feeds of mother’s milk and companionship. I cannot explain how angry I was at that point.

Her presence caused an international incident

Luckily I had powers under animal welfare and transport laws to seize her which I immediately did and directed that she went to what was then called  the Heathrow Animal Quarantine Station (AQS) for further investigation and examination by a vet. When the crate was opened she immediately jumped out screaming into the arms of the nearest person.

Her name was apparently Toto and she had been shipped from Cameroon, West Africa via an unscrupulous animal dealer in Vienna and was in transit to Japan, another arduous and long journey. I informed our contacts in Customs who also agreed to seize her under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) regulations which supposedly forbids the trade in endangered species and which the UK had ratified in 1976. I also informed every major international conservation organisation I knew of and contacted the national press who covered the story in detail.

I sometimes wish I had gone on the run with her.

I was confident that with all this exposure Toto would be permanently seized one way or the other and stay in the UK for proper care, but I was very wrong and it was all to no avail. Her presence caused a diplomatic incident and while we strived to get her back into good health at the AQS, where a string of eager foster mum attendants kept her company day and night, all the authorities wrangled over her fate.

It was eventually decided by the UK Government that they didn’t have the powers to detain her and following arguments from ourselves that she was too young to travel so far to Japan unaccompanied, officials and the airline agreed to return her to Vienna and the animal dealer despite everyone’s protests. I was able to delay her departure a little longer by insisting that a specialised crate was required and constructed by the airline for any further movement. At this point I just felt as though I should scoop her up and go on the run with her. Sometimes I wish I had.

Baby gorilla, smuggled apes, smuggled wildlife
Toto and me. It is was love at first sight. I wish I had gone on the run with her.

We only had her in our care for a week, but it was an emotional wrench for everyone involved when she departed and so unjust. I hate to think what the rest of her life was like. Toto went back to the dealer in Vienna who just sent her to Japan via another route avoiding Heathrow, where on arrival she was so weak a veterinarian was called.

This unfortunately was not the last time I came across smuggled or illegal shipment of animals through the airport. There were several incidents of baby chimps as well as other monkeys and endangered reptiles and birds. Back then no one in officialdom seemed to care or believe they had the powers to do anything. The situation sadly seems to be little changed.

This was my first experience of international wildlife regulations which has always tarnished my belief in their effectiveness. When it comes to practical realities they are far from ideal. Although I am sure such incidents at Heathrow are now rare, it is obvious that illicit traders can still find countries to aid and abet them and money always overcomes any complications in regard to paperwork or turning a blind eye. And huge sums  are involved. In 1979 she was worth £7,000, but the price tag now is nearer £300,000.