NATIONAL WORKING TERRIER FEDERATION (N.W.T.F.)

The N.W.T.F. constantly monitors and responds to any legislative proposals affecting terrier work, or the working terrier. It has provided written and oral evidence at Westminster and to the devolved Parliaments in Scotland and Wales on a variety of related matters.  Typical examples of these are the Government "Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs" chaired by Lord Burns (see below). This evidence is now stored on the Government Online National Archive from where it may be accessed as detailed below;

• Burns Committee Stage 1 Written Evidence (The Case for Terrier Work) - Select First Stage Evidence Menu - Select List of Submissions - Scroll down the alphabetic list and select National Working Terrier Federation.
• Burns Committee Stage 2 Written Evidence (The Rebuttal of Opponents Evidence) - Select Second Stage Evidence Menu - Select List of Submissions - Scroll down the alphabetic list and select National Working Terrier Federation.
• Burns Committee Oral Evidence (Day 1) - Select Oral Evidence - Select Oral Evidence Sessions - Select 6th April First Session.
• Burns Committee Oral Evidence (Day 2) - Select Oral Evidence - Select Oral Evidence Sessions - Select 10th April Second Session.

To access the Government Online National Archive click here.

Similarly evidence provided by the N.W.T.F. to the Scottish Parliament's Rural Affairs Committee's Inquiry into the "Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill" (see below) may be accessed by clicking on the links provided below:

• Stage 1 Written Evidence (The Modern Day Role of the Working Terrier in Pest Control) click here.
• Oral Evidence Opening Statements click here.
• Day 1 Oral Evidence and Inquiry click here.
• Day 2 Oral Evidence and Inquiry click here.
• Day 3 Oral Evidence and Inquiry (Includes N.W.T.F., S.H.P.A. and S.G.A. evidence) click here.
• Day 4 Oral Evidence and Inquiry click here. 

Potentially harmful legislation is not only confined to that which directly affects hunting, less sinister and more well intentioned legislation can also have an impact on terrierwork. Proir to the N.W.T.F.'s involvement it was intended that the Animal Welfare Act 2006 would prohibit the docking of Working Terrier's tails, and it was the N.W.T.F. who succeeded in convincing D.E.F.R.A. otherwise.

More recently D.E.F.R.A. have undertaken a consultation process in respect of a Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs. To view the N.W.T.F.'s response click here. 

Whenever required, N.W.T.F. representatives are always available to attend Parliament to advise, brief and lobby politicians, and have done so on numerous occasions.