How to be the cherry on the cake of dog welfare!

All you need to do is click this link and then verify the email.

Everywhere we look we see things we can’t fix. But here is one wrong you can. You don’t have to make a placard. You don’t have to throw yourself under a horse, either.

This is our best ever chance. Just a couple of clicks and you’ve taken the profit motive out of the cruel puppy farm trade. And they certainly do it for money, not love.

You’ve not already signed - this petition is new, it was launched on March 1st, in the afternoon. But look how many people have already signed it. That’s because everyone who is even vaguely normal agrees with it.

We have had help, some lovely people Retweeted our petition on their social media feeds...

In all probability you will have signed similar things. But this is the official #LucysLaw petition that unifies absolutely everyone who wants a ban on ghastly third parties selling dogs.

Everyone from the RSPCA to the Kennel Club. Click here to see the Daily Mirror’s website that collects all the supporters’ logos. It’s a veritable Who's Who of animal welfare.

Pretty much everyone is there. (Scroll down to add your logo, if you’re not).

So why do we need you?

When the Minister Michael Gove asked for evidence that a third-party sales ban will be good for animal welfare, we all thought a petition would help reassure him.

That Mr Gove can stride ahead with confidence, that we’re all behind him. It’s not exactly like we’re asking for him to do anything weird - read the petition wording for yourself.

So, why did we need to do this, I hear you ask!

Well Efra spent ages looking into the problems caused by people dealing in pups and they unreservedly advised Defra we needed a third-party ban on selling dogs, but Defra dithered. They were sent some unsolicited poor advice from two organisations who probably thought no one would ever find out. But this secret lobbying caused Defra to wobble sufficiently to leave the ban out of the proposed changes handed to the minister.

It wasn’t me that discovered this by the way - what will be the doggie version of Watergate, wish it had been. But this someone rather splendid did a FOI request that uncovered this outrage (click here). And when it was exposed, well the public growled a lot and all the politicians heard and then there was a very popular Early Day Motion and Michael Gove, bless him, reacted, too.

Mr Gove asked for evidence that he should take the puppy out of the pet shop window and out of the callous hands of cash-hungry dealers. The sort of people who see pups as stock, not as life-changing sentient beings.

Animal lovers found their voice, they now know they are the majority not just a niche.

And the politicians, obviously weary from the very unpopular Brexit, have at last discovered that long overdue animal welfare reforms would make them very, very popular with the electorate.

The love of dogs unites us and a desire to protect the underdog makes us incredibly passionate.

For the first time ever people wrote to their MPs, used the democratic process and discovered their vote can make a tangible difference. Social media made dog lovers feel strong at last and when they pulled together, things really started to move.

So this petition is just the icing on a huge, organic cake made by very many kind hands and your signature is the cherry on top of it. But those cherries are very, very important as they make the cake much more attractive to MPs! (Apologies for using cake porn)

This collective movement behind Lucy’s Law is vague and unstructured. It’s just everyone who wants to get the very vulnerable pups out of the hands of people who don’t care.

But it’s strong, it’s huge and better if you are a part of it.

#LucysLaw is not the cynical creation of a single-issue charity with a huge PR budget and donors to attract.

It’s real. It’s a disparate group of people who just really care about this - who are doing most of it in their spare time. Please join in, everyone is welcome and essential.

No one is paid to lobby. For motivation they just look into every dog’s eyes they meet and ask, “where’s mum?” is she still stuck in breeding slavery?

Did their litter mates beat the deadly infectious diseases that many pups harbour when they were trafficked across Europe squashed into vans to be sold on by strangers on free sites like Gumtree?

To be a part of this historic movement you only need give your signature on the petition, but if you want to do more, please do - there’s lots more to be done. For a start share this article, share the petition, make others aware that we have a chance at last to sort this out.

The Early Day Motion has already been signed by nearly 90 MPs cross party. You can see if your MP is one of the ones who has listened to their constituents here (the front bench never sign them apparently). And you can email them here if not - if you know your postcode.

This window of opportunity for a major animal welfare reform may be the most positive thing to come out of Brexit. We just need you to sign and share - use your voice for the dogs who have none.

All you need to do is click this link and then verify the email.

It’s elegant, it’s simple, it’s easy.

And it wasn’t my idea, I wish it was. #LucysLaw was media vet Marc Abraham’s brilliant solution (see right).

And Lucy wasn’t my dog (see below), she was Lisa Garner’s. She rescued her from a life of misery as a breeding slave and gave her a few short but happy years of love not exploitation.

Let’s pull together for the dogs, click this link, get involved.

Become your dog’s hero.

PS if you want to know more go to CARIAD click here

W?hy not post on social media to show your support like these lovely people have done?