More than 10,000 signatures – and why this campaign began
When we launched the Pet Food Standards Charter, I genuinely didn't know how many people would sign it.
Today, there are more than 10,000 of you.
That feels like an important moment, and a good time to explain a little more personally why Pets Magazine started this campaign in the first place.
It began with my dog, Phoebe.
Phoebe, often affectionately known as Miss P, is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who came to live with me at the beginning of 2025 after spending the first five years of her life as a breeding dog in an Irish puppy farm.
She had already been through a lot by the time she arrived here. Now she has countryside walks, two Cavalier brothers, a ridiculous number of cuddles and, whenever possible, the freedom simply to be a dog.
Yesterday, at our private dog park, she was running through the long grass like a little free puppy. It was glorious to watch.
Today, unfortunately, she's paying for it. Her eyes are sore and irritated again. 😢
Phoebe's eye problems first appeared in June. She developed a corneal ulcer and subsequently extremely poor tear production, requiring repeated veterinary appointments and ongoing treatment. Her vets have described the presentation as "unusual", and although treatment has brought encouraging improvements in her tear production, the underlying question of why she developed dry eye syndrome remains unresolved.
At the time her symptoms began, Phoebe was being fed Years dog food, which was subsequently recalled.
Her case became part of my investigation into the recall and was later reported nationally, including by The Guardian.
By August, after a number of different treatments including antibiotics, Phoebe had been diagnosed with dry eye syndrome. Her current regime involves lubricating eye gel three times a day and Optimmune ointment twice a day, alongside regular veterinary monitoring. The treatment has improved her tear production significantly, but her eyes remain vulnerable to irritation, as today's photograph (above) shows.
It is important to be precise about what we know. No causal link has been established between Phoebe's diet and her eye condition. Investigations into the wider circumstances are ongoing, and the cause of Miss P's eye problems remains uncertain.
For me, what happened to Phoebe was the point at which this stopped being simply another pet-food story.
I am a journalist and the Editor of Pets Magazine. So I started asking questions.
How robust are the standards governing commercially manufactured pet food? What information are owners entitled to receive? How are potential problems identified and reported? What happens when something goes wrong? And are the systems designed to protect our animals keeping pace with a pet-food industry that has changed enormously?
The more we investigated, the clearer it became that these questions went far beyond one manufacturer, one recalled product or one little dog.
That is why we created the Pet Food Standards Charter, calling for greater scrutiny of unfamiliar ingredients and major formulation changes; clearer ingredient and formulation transparency; more transparent, risk-based testing; better national surveillance of suspected adverse events; evidence-led contaminant standards; and clearer evidence behind nutrition, functional and quality claims.
The Charter is intended to complement existing pet-food law, not pretend protections don't already exist. Pet food in the UK is regulated. But our investigation identified areas where greater scrutiny, transparency and surveillance could strengthen protections for pets and confidence for their owners.
This isn't a campaign against pet-food manufacturers. Good manufacturers should have nothing to fear from high standards and greater confidence among pet owners.
And it isn't about proving what happened to Phoebe.
It's about asking whether we can do better for millions of animals like her.
Some days Miss P races through the grass. Some days her eyes hurt.
She knows nothing about investigations, regulation, petitions or Pet Food Standards Charters. She knows there are walks to be had, dinners to supervise and people available for cuddles.
But she is the reason I started asking the questions.
And now more than 10,000 people are asking them with us.
Thank you to every single person who has signed, shared or talked about the Charter. We have much more to do.
On 12 November, we will hold the first National Pet Food Standards Day, creating a focal point for pet owners, veterinary professionals, manufacturers, regulators and others to look at how pet-food safety, transparency and surveillance could be strengthened.
Our next milestone is 15,000 signatures. If you believe our pets deserve the strongest possible protections, please help us get there by signing and sharing the petition.
change.org/petfoodstandardscharter
Read the full Pet Food Standards Charter and supporting evidence:
petsmag.co.uk/pet-food-standards-charter
Read The Guardian's reporting on Phoebe and the Years recall:
theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/22/worst-part-guilt-owners-dog-food-eye-problems-years
Thank you once again for your support.
Marie Carter-Robb
Editor, Pets Magazine