OPINION: New traffic measures are great news for cyclists and other humans, but as dog caregiver Claire Hamlett explains, are also a welcomed development for dogs and other animals whose lives can be so terribly affected by cars and roads.

BLOG: Experts are warning that more of Britain’s dogs and other companion animals may be abandoned in the months to come as the cost-of-living crisis places further financial pressure on families. How is it that animals are always the victims of our human crises?

On a day when the UK celebrates its love of cats, dogs and all the other nonhuman animals we bring into our homes and commonly refer to as ‘pets’, Claire Hamlett explains how through words and actions she respects the boundaries and agency of her two four-legged companions.

PICTURES: In the grip of a Russian invasion, the situation for everyone in Ukraine is truly terrible. Among the pictures and videos emerging of the pitched fighting and humanitarian crisis, glimpses of pets and other animals caught in the crossfire are helping to tell a different side of the human story.

Defra and Crufts organisers The Kennel Club have warned people to be on the lookout for unscrupulous cat and dog sellers this Christmas. So-called ‘petfishing’ might be on the rise, but why shop when you can adopt?

Providing care to some animals as a vegan can be fraught with ethical compromises. One of the biggest issues that is often used to deride veganism for being hypocritical is whether or not it is cruel to feed dogs on a plant-based diet. Caregiver to two very healthy dogs, Surge contributor Claire Hamlett talks us through her personal journey navigating this sensitive subject.

The end of lockdown may be in sight, but for many companion animals brought into homes over the last year seemingly on a whim by people hoping to alleviate their boredom or get free eggs, the picture isn’t so optimistic. From dangerously maladjusted dogs to chickens dumped in fields, remember that companion animals are for life, not just for lockdown.

Can an infamous example of animal abuse posted to YouTube illustrate the ethical disconnect that arises when our morality fails to tally with our actions? Alex J. O’Connor, AKA Cosmic Skeptic, writes.