BBC News Online, 25 May 2004
New rules forbid dog bones
Dogs in mid Wales have a bone to pick with officials after they ordered butchers not to give customers bones to take home for their pets. Ceredigion County Council has written to shop owners about a new European Union directive restricting the supply of bones and trimmings, which have for years been regarded as a canine treat.
The truth
The EU Animal By-Products Regulation was adopted in 2002 to help ensure the safe and traceable disposal of animal parts not intended for human consumption, in order to reduce the risk of further agricultural crisis such as BSE and Foot-and-mouth. It does not stop a butcher supplying bones to individual dog owners for their pet's consumption, provided the bone has not already been thrown away.
