February 2026
February’s Love for Dogs—and the Cruel Truth We Can’t Ignore
February should be a month that celebrates everything we cherish about our dogs. It brings days like National Love Your Pet Day, National Walk Your Dog Day, Pet Theft Awareness Day, and National Dog Walking Day—all reminders of the joy, companionship, and loyalty our animals bring into our lives.
And yet, while we celebrate these special dates, we’re faced with the heart-breaking truth that cruelty continues to take place right here in the UK. It feels impossible to comprehend that, in a nation known for loving animals, there are still dogs suffering neglect, mistreatment, and starvation behind closed doors. Cruelty has no place in our communities. No animal should ever suffer at the hands of those meant to protect them.
February is also a month dedicated to spay/neuter awareness and pet dental health, both essential to safeguarding the welfare of the animals we adore. But this year, the headlines have felt especially heavy.
Many will have read the devastating news surrounding Save a Paws, where numerous dogs were found deceased—lost in the socalled care of a “rescue.” More bodies continue to be recovered. The questions scream loudly in all our minds:
How could this happen?
How did so many beloved pets end up dying alone and afraid?
Why weren’t their former owners checking that their dogs were safe?
It is beyond painful to imagine the trust placed in this organisation—owners believing they were doing the right thing, believing their pets were being cared for—while in truth those dogs were left to die agonising, preventable deaths.
In the recent court case, police and the RSPCA found over 41 deceased dogs, with many still unaccounted for, and 20 barely alive, clinging on in appalling conditions. This person will surely go to prison. In another case, an individual running an illegal puppy farm and neglecting dozens of animals walked away with nothing more than a hefty fine—spared a custodial sentence, despite the scale of suffering.
We are left asking: How is this justice?
Lucy’s Law—meant to protect animals from third‑party sales and expose illegal breeders—has been heavily criticised in the UK for failing to prevent exploitation. Online selling sites show just how easily illegal puppy farming continues. Northern Ireland is set to adopt Lucy’s Law this autumn, requiring sellers to register with their local council and only sell pets they have personally bred. It’s a step in the right direction… but loopholes remain. Large‑scale commercial breeders can still export puppies, obscure their operations, and produce far more puppies than they should.
And so, the responsibility once again falls on buyers and would‑be pet owners:
🌟 Be vigilant.
🌟 Do your research.
🌟 Ask questions.
🌟 Never assume a rescue or seller is legitimate. Always visit the puppies with their mum in the place they were born.
The tragedies unfolding around us aren’t just headlines—they’re lives lost. They’re families forever grieving. They’re dogs who deserved love, safety, and a future.
For Reggie, and for every dog failed by humans, we will continue to speak up. We will continue to demand better.
Because every animal deserves more than survival—they deserve a life worth living.