In his new book ‘The Science of Delusion: Freeing the Spirit of Enquiry’ eminent scientist Dr Rupert Sheldrake argues that animals are in touch with their psychic selves much more than we as humans are. In fact, he states that most animals, including our domesticated pets, are psychic whereas we have lost most of our ‘higher thinking’ abilities because we have chosen to ignore them; at least that’s the case for those of us who live in the Western world.

In the East, the psychic abilities of pets are taken very seriously to the point that in earth-quake prone areas of China, the authorities actually encourage people to report unusual animal behaviour. As a result of such ‘premonitions’, the Chinese have issued warnings that have enabled cities to be evacuated hours before earthquakes hit, saving thousands of lives. 

In a book that seeks to shatter our view of the world, animal telepathy is one of Dr Sheldrake’s key areas of debate. In particular, he argues that animals can anticipate what we are about to do, our moods and behaviours, and react accordingly. He also states that precognition or the ability to anticipate future events including disaster scenarios, is innate to most animals. I am yet to be convinced of the latter but have always believed that my dogs’ possess a Sixth Sense; an ability that we humans have mostly long forgotten or consigned to the hocus pocus category of thought. 

Dr Sheldrake has himself examined over 5000 cases of psychic phenomena in animals including 177 cases of dogs apparently sensing the death or suffering of their absent masters, mainly by howling, whining or whimpering, and 62 cases of cats showing similar signs of distress. 

The shocking findings into the state of our pets’ waistlines suggest that we are literally loving our pets to death by treating them to sugary snacks and extra titbits. Around half of the owners surveyed thought treats made their pets happy and only two per cent felt guilty when giving their dog or cat a high-calorie snack. We think we would be depriving them if we didn’t give them extra but the fact is that we are tragically helping to send them to an early grave. 

As an over-indulgent dog owner myself, I know that I sometimes give into my dogs winsome stare to “feed me now!” if she wants a chew or one of her choc drops and I have been known to sometimes give her too many treats. However, the cases cited by the PDSA in their study of 11,000 pet owners shows up some really sad cases of dogs, who were found in the survey to be the most over-indulged, with more than six million being fed junk food including takeaways as part of their daily diet. Inevitably, porky pooches and fat felines are the result of such ‘treat time’ with all the health problems including heart disease and diabetes that can result.

Take Bailey the Border Collie, who was regularly fed biscuits and became 60 per cent overweight, and Deco the Golden Labrador, the canine ‘vacuum cleaner’ who ballooned to 8st 6lbs.

Sean Wensley, a senior vet at the PDSA, commented: “With so many pets being fed inappropriate diets, the effect on their health is devastating. Many owners may think that their favourite treats are harmless to pets. This is not the case. Pets need diets that are suitable for their species, age and body-size.”

This growing trend, which started in the US and is sweeping (apparently) across the world, has seen increasing numbers of the super-devoted or simply plain wacko, paying up to £2500 to have their dog, cat or any other beloved domestic companion animal frozen after death at minus nine degrees using ‘space age’ technology. They are then made to look as if they are ‘just sleeping’ or can be fashioned into ‘life-like’ poses, depending on the owners’ wishes. 

The results as featured on sites such as www.perpetualpet.net look eerily life-like and a definite improvement on those pets subjected to taxidermy. I can thoroughly understand the need to keep the adored pet around, but I do think that this new ‘craze’ is a step too far. What next, freeze-drying relatives and having them posed in life-like positions around the house? Perhaps have Uncle Ted pipe in hand reclining in his favourite armchair? Yes, I agree, what a horrible, sick idea! 

But why is it so different with pets whom we once treated as integral members of the family? What about their dignity in death?

A dog or cat is not purely defined by what they look like and I would argue that they are much more purely ‘them’ based on their unique characters and quirks of personality. When what defines them in life has gone, I firmly believe that what you’re left with is a mere shell that resembles the deceased pet but brings none of the joy and pleasure that having a real dog or cat with his / her own unique personality brings. 

The other day, a fellow dog walker Tweeted about how dogs are allowed into Beamish Museum (the grounds, not buildings) and I couldn’t help but respond that this was my dog’s favourite day out. Not only can she enjoy a lovely countryside walk with a difference (time travel to the early 1900s!) but she has also become something of a regular in the museum’s pub, The Sun Inn, where she enjoys nibbles of pork pie and crisps! 

The writer in the Canadian magazine also marveled about dogs in pubs in general and the joy of being able to take our pets on public transport. I have travelled on the East Coast mainline with my dog and she just loves watching the world whoosh by. It’s a freedom that I truly hope we can keep.

I also love the fact that if I need a newspaper or a pint of milk, my local shop allows ‘small’ dogs. My pooch has also become a regular there and gets bits of chew or a little sweet every time she comes in with me. She also likes to say ‘hello’ to everyone she meets, whether that’s at the local shop or at the nearby post office.

Back to the news stories in question. The first concerns a 33-year old man involved in a ‘domestic dispute’ who tied a Beagle to the back of his Porsche 911 car and drove seven miles at speed before dumping the mangled body of the poor dog in a lay-by. The man is currently being questioned by police after he handed himself in following the ‘incident’ in Brighton on Sunday evening. There were eyewitness and the man handed himself in clearly in the knowledge that he will merely be fined, cautioned and be free to go. I doubt very much that this clearly sick and depraved person would have ‘handed himself in’ if his punishment would be a certain lengthy jail term. Time will tell what happens to him, but I do at least hope that he is named and shamed by the media, as happened to the vilified woman in Coventry who dumped a cat in a wheelie bin ‘on a whim’ last year.

The second story of the day concerns the rise of ‘cat coursing’, particularly in Northern England and Scotland. Blackburn, West Yorks in particular has seen 15 cats snatched off the streets in recent weeks and used in barbaric blood lust ‘games’ with fighting dogs. The ‘aim’ of the sick and twisted cult sport is to see which dog has the most aggressive tendencies and to bring these out as much as possible…The fighting dogs used are the often maligned Staffies but also Dogue de Bordeaux, Akitas and Shar Pei, in particular. The ‘sport’ is for the ‘enjoyment’ of the groups of people watching, rather like the baying crowds in Roman times watching lions ripping apart Gladiators. But more awful as the poor cats have generally been plucked from loving homes and thrust in to hell.

I for one believe that the time is right now for a re-writing of our law concerning animals so that they are no longer classified as our property, our ‘chattels’. This will mean that the punishment for those involved in cases of animal cruelty will finally fit the crime.