Almost a quarter of households in Oxfordshire have a dog; you'd be hard pressed to step outside in Wantage or Grove and NOT see someone with their faithful canine by their side. It goes without saying, we're a community for whom the welfare of our animal companions is of the utmost importance. 

Many people locally are therefore affronted by the idea that Wantage and Grove should play host to an individual such as Graeme Hall. His 'training methods' such as they are, are brutish and bullying, based on fear and intimidation tailored towards a miracle quick fix that looks good on camera, opposed to rewards-based training which is far better for human and dog in the long run. Moreover, he touts outdated and disproven ideas around canine social behaviour and psychology such as the necessity of 'being a leader or boss' towards your dog. Whilst he is undoubtedly a very clever marketeer - having been a marketing consultant for over two decades - he has no formal training or qualifications, beyond hosting sensationalist TV shows. But locally there is a wealth of canine and broader animal knowledge available from qualified individuals whose methodologies are based on positivity and long-term solutions that benefit both people and their pets equally, rather than simply looking good to the humans. 

Consequently, we are petitioning for the scheduled event with Graeme Hall at The Beacon on Saturday 29 June to be CANCELLED as it is NOT something done with animal welfare in mind.