What does it actually take to change a law that harms dogs?

In this episode of Just A Dog Podcast, I speak with Dr Marc Abraham OBE, the veterinary surgeon and campaigner behind Lucy’s Law, which banned the third party sale of puppies and kittens in England.

Marc shares the moment that shifted him from treating individual dogs to challenging the system itself, how grassroots campaigning really works, and why patience, strategy, and kindness matter more than outrage alone.

We talk about puppy farming, ethical breeding, rescue, political lobbying, celebrity influence, and what ordinary people can do when they feel powerless in the face of injustice.

Marc is the author of several books, including Be More Mosquito, a practical guide to grassroots campaigning and creating change with limited resources.

He is also the presenter and co creator of the documentary Dogspiracy, which examines irresponsible breeding, puppy mills, and the systems that allow them to continue, while also highlighting how change can happen.

You can follow Marc and his work online
Facebook | Instagram | X | Website

Marisa Heath has spent over 15 years working inside UK Parliament to improve the lives of dogs. She runs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare (APGAW), leads the Canine and Feline Sector Group, and co-founded the Innate Health Assessment, a tool that helps people recognise extreme conformation before buying a puppy or choosing which dogs to breed from.

Extreme conformation refers to physical features that have been bred so far from a dog's natural form that they cause pain, discomfort or difficulty doing basic things like breathing, walking or playing.

In 2009, Marisa published A Healthier Future for Pedigree Dogs. Sixteen years later, she is still asking the same questions.

This is not a conversation about bad breeders or irresponsible owners. It is a conversation about all of us. Somewhere along the way, we stopped noticing. Noses got shorter. Skin folds got deeper. Legs bowed. Spines curved. Breathing became laboured. And we called it normal. We called it cute.

We shared videos of dogs snoring and struggling and we laughed. This happened to the animals we say we love most, and it happened right in front of us. If you have ever looked at a dog and thought nothing of how they were built, this conversation might change what you see.

🔗 Try the Innate Health Assessment: https://www.innatehealthassessment.org/

Morocco agreed in 2019 to manage free roaming dogs through catch, neuter, vaccinate and return. That agreement was never made law, and many regions continued killing instead.

Since Morocco secured co hosting rights for the FIFA World Cup 2030, the pace and scale of killings have increased.

The IAWPC has documented shootings, poisonings and mass removals near proposed stadium cities including Tangier, Marrakesh, Rabat, Agadir, Fez and Casablanca.

Les Ward MBE and Debbie Wilson explain the evidence, the political pressures, the impact on rabies control, and why systemic violence toward dogs harms children and whole communities.

This episode explores what happens when image wins over science and what can still be done to change the direction of an entire nation.

IAWPC Website | Sign the Petition | IAWPC on Instagram | IAWPC on Facebook | IAWPC on X