In an interesting new form of protest, anti-Brexit dog owners took their pets on a march to parliament on Sunday, calling for a second vote on EU membership. Organizers of the so-called “Wooferendum” campaign hoped thousands of protesters and canines would rally, claiming that animals would suffer from leaving the EU.
Organizers argued that leaving the block would harm the UK’s estimated 54 million pets because it would mean a shortfall in skilled vets and veterinary nurses, rising costs for animal health products and even supplies running low.
A report by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons said that a cut in skilled vets and veterinary nurses — most of which hail from the EU — would likely jeopardize animal welfare and economic production. The college also warned that meat production could be affected.
Bulldogs, English and French breeds, were among those that walked through central London to Parliament Square. Dog owners, including Tony Blair’s former spin chief Alistair Campbell, took part in the march. At several ‘Pee Stations’ along the route, dogs were encouraged to urinate on images of Brexiteers like former foreign minister Boris Johnson and ex-UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage.
Ministers admitted last month that Britons will find it harder to take their pets abroad to Europe if Britain backs out of the bloc without a deal. Under current rules Britons can get pet passports, allowing them to take their cats and dogs abroad so long as they have a rabies vaccination and a microchip.
However, if Prime Minister Theresa May doesn’t get a deal, then Britain will become a ‘third country’ and pet owners will be forced to register their animal three months in advance in order to travel.
By: Maytinee Kramer
