Overweight pets: an animal welfare issue

An overweight border collie named Taz, right, pictured with a healthy border collie as a comparison. Taz was taken into the care of Brighton and Hove City Council after his owner Ronald West ignored orders to improve his diet. The dog weighed 40kg when animal welfare officers visited West's home earlier this year. West is due to appear at Brighton Magistrates' Court charged with animal welfare offences. Photograph: Brighton and Hove City Council/PA

Border collie Taz, pictured again after being taken into council kennels and losing nearly eight kilos. Photograph: Brighton and Hove City Council/PA

Dogs Trust employee Catriona Burt is pictured with Patch, a six-year-old Beagle Cross who is so obese he is unable to walk. Patch, found in Glasgow, is being placed on an extreme low-fat diet by vets. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA

Rusty the labrador, whose owners were prosecuted in Fordham, Cambridgeshire, in 2008, for overfeeding him. Rusty went on to lose five stone. Photograph: Albanpix Ltd/Rex Features

Rusty the labrador, pictured after losing weight. Photograph: Mason's News Service/Rex Features

George the hedgehog (pictured left) was placed on a crash diet after he weighed in at 2.2kg - four times the weight of a normal hedgehog. Staff at the Wildlife Aid animal sanctuary placed him on a strictly-controlled cat food diet. Photograph: Solent News/Rex Features

Seven-year-old Honey, weighing three stone in Bournemouth, pictured in 2006. Photograph: Phil Yeomans/Rex Features

Ursula Harris takes Treacle the cat for a walk to lose weight in Cheshire. Photograph: Gary Roberts/Rex Features

Laura Santarelli with her cat Orazio in Eupilio, Italy. Photograph: Olycom SPA/Rex Features