Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of highly dense areas of barley grass seeds on the health of dogs; and whether her Department plans to take preventative action to reduce the risk of injury to dogs.

To support dog owners and handlers, the Government has published a Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs which is available here: Code of practice for the welfare of dogs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The code summarises important information for owners and helps them make decisions about how best to care for their dogs. The code includes information on how to keep dogs healthy and protect them from pain, suffering, injury, and disease, and recommends that owners monitor their dogs carefully and seek the advice of a veterinarian where necessary.

In addition, many of the UK’s animal welfare organisations provide owners and handlers with advice on how to care for their dogs, including the risks posed by grass seeds. For example, the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals has published advice for owners here: Grass seeds in dogs - PDSA.