Britain likes to think of itself as a nation of animal-lovers.  And yet even when it comes to domestic pets, this is far from the truth of the matter.  Take dogs.  Why is it still perfectly legitimate to own a dog and keep the poor animal outside, tethered to a chain, or confined to a barred and locked enclosure politely referred to as a 'kennel' or ‘pen’.  Indeed, particularly in the latter case, many dog owners consider this an entirely respectable way of keeping a dog.  

No respectable animal shelter would allow a dog to be re-housed in this way.  And yet the practice is entirely permissible within the law, and there is nothing that an animal welfare organization or anyone else can do about it.  To those with the slightest degree of empathy with the animal world, such enclosures are no more than cages.  Bleak, mean spaces, often erected on concrete surfaces, and equipped, if at all, with the most rudimentary of shelters.  This is not a life, it's a life-imprisonment.   

Like many other animals, dogs are sociable and intelligent beings, but in particular, more than any other domesticated animal they crave human interaction and companionship. 

Some dog trainers advocate the use of 'crates' for training puppies.  Some dog owners retain the use of a 'crate' or enclosed space in the house for night-time use.  These are debatable practices.

But to imprison a dog outside on a chain or in a barred and locked enclosure for much of his or her entire life should not be debatable.  This has nothing to do with training or with the welfare of the dog, it has to do with the convenience of the dog-owner.   'Owner' is the operative word here, since in such cases the dog is effectively treated as one more possession among others. 

A dog is not another piece of machinery or gadget to be shut outside and away until required.  A dog is a living creature, and living creatures, if they are to thrive and lead full lives, need more than just food, water and enough exercise to keep them alive and in working order. 

Some will argue that there is a difference between 'pet dogs' and 'working dogs'.  But if your dog is working for you, isn't that reason enough to provide him or her, at the very least, with a comfortable shelter and freedom to roam in a natural environment?       

In Finland, other than for transportation, the 'crating' or caging of dogs is illegal, full-stop.  For all the animal-loving rhetoric here in the United Kingdom, our governments permit this deplorable, cruel practice to continue.

As a resident of Wales, I am calling on the Welsh Government to step forward on this issue, and to conduct a serious review of the laws pertaining to dog ownership with a view to making the incarceration of dogs in this way illegal in Wales.