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COVID-19 RESTICTIONS

Please note that, due to the COVID-19 restrictions, we are unable to invite prospective adopters to meet our cats and kittens in person. Instead we are offering a video meeting, eg, via Zoom, where you can meet your prospective pet and also ask the fosterer as many questions as you like.
Hopefully, we will be back to normal working soon.

PETS AS PRIZES

Gold medal, Gold trophy, Goldfish? A pet is not a prize or something to be won.

None of the fun at the fair
Fairs can evoke a sense of nostalgia for many, with fairground jingles, sugared doughnuts and arcade game prizes. Sadly, there's no fun at the fair for the animals given away as prizes. While many of us would not accept a dog, cat or rabbit as the result of winning a game - receiving goldfish as prizes have become all too commonplace across England and Wales.

Can you help us make pets as prizes a thing of the past?
Unfortunately, the National Cruelty Helpline regularly receive calls relating to animals being given away as prizes, particularly goldfish - who are often prized off at fairgrounds across England and Wales. These goldfish are often held in unsuitable plastic bags for long durations and taken to homes that aren't adequately prepared to meet their welfare needs. We think you'll agree that while candy floss comes in bags, pets shouldn't.

Life in a bag
Goldfish are easily stressed and very often, fish that are won as prizes suffer miserably from shock, oxygen starvation or die from changes in water temperature, and many will die before their new owners can even get them home.

It's already illegal in Scotland
Currently in England and Wales, it's an offence to give animals away as a prize to anyone under the age of 16, unless accompanied by an adult. This differs from laws in other countries, for example Scotland, where it's an offence in almost all circumstances to give an animal away as a prize to anyone regardless of age.

Prevent pets as prizes
We need supporters like you to take the action and let East Riding of Yorkshire Council know that pets as prizes are a no-win situation.

By taking action, you'll be encouraging your local council to stop this practice on council-owned land, as well as write to their respective Government for wider change.

When it comes to pets as prizes, you win, they lose.