MP supports bill to protect health and welfare of puppies and kittens

The Government has announced it’s backing for the new legislation which will close existing loopholes exploited by unscrupulous breeders and traders to illegally smuggle cats and dogs into the UK.

Since 2012, the Pet Travel Scheme, created to make it easy for owners to take their family pets on holiday with them, has been abused by unscrupulous traders. The Bill will strengthen the Pet Travel Scheme to ensure that no one is able to fraudulently import animals for sale under the guise of being an owner travelling with their own pets.

Measures in the Bill, which will be enacted through primary legislation, include reducing the number of animals that can travel under the non-commercial rules from five per person to five per vehicle or three per foot or air passenger. The Bill also ensures that when an authorised person carries out a non-commercial movement of a dog, cat, or ferret, it may only take place within five days of the owner's movement.

Measures in the Bill, which will be enacted through secondary legislation, include introducing prohibitions that restrict the commercial and non-commercial movement into Great Britain of puppies and kittens under six months, dogs and cats with nonexempted mutilations, for example, dogs with cropped ears or docked tails, declawed cats, and heavily pregnant dogs and cats who are more than 42 days pregnant.

Bruce, a French Bulldog from the Dogs Trust and Pixie, a Spaniel from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home were in Westminster to take photos after Selaine’s successful Second Reading.

Sally-Ann Hart said: "It is vital that we push our legislation further to close the gaps that allow for the harm and exploitation of dogs, cats and ferrets…. Like me, a significant number of my constituents care deeply about animal welfare and have contacted me to express their enormous support for this Bill.

“Improvements must be made to stop innocent animals enduring illegal and unnecessary journeys and procedures. We must also take efforts to ensure those criminal activities do not go unpunished.”

Selaine Saxby, MP for North Devon and Bill Sponsor said: “I am glad that the Government is supporting this vital Bill and committed to its swift passage to ensure safeguard the welfare of thousands of puppies, dogs, cats and ferrets that come into Great Britain from overseas each year.

"I would like to thank the tireless campaigning from the pet charities who have shared their views about this Bill. I hope that they are reassured by the measures outlined in the Bill which will stop this cruel trade by closing loopholes exploited by unscrupulous commercial traders.

“We really are a nation of pet lovers, and this legislation will ensure that UK is leading the world when it comes to animal welfare.”

Owen Sharp, Chief Executive, Dogs Trust said: “For more than ten years, Dogs Trust has been working to tackle the horrific puppy smuggling trade. We hope that Selaine’s Bill marks an important step towards tackling these issues, so that no more dogs like Bruce have to suffer at the hands of unscrupulous breeders and sellers.

“We'd like to thank Selaine for bringing forward this Bill offering protection to countless dogs caught up in this cruel trade, who have suffered so terribly at the hands of smugglers. Once the bill is passed, it will no longer be legal to import dogs with brutal mutilations, prevent heavily pregnant dogs who have been smuggled in cramped and squalid conditions, and make sure puppies are not exploited by raising the age which they can be imported to 6 months.”

Harriet Main, Public Affairs Manager, RSPCA said: “We’re delighted that this Bill is progressing - it is huge news for animal welfare. A change in law is urgently needed to protect animals and close legal loopholes that have been abused for many years by people making quick cash from the exploitation of animals.

“As we strive to create a better world for every animal in our 200th year, the RSPCA is urging MPs to support this Bill to ensure it passes through Parliament quickly."

Ben Parker, Public Affairs Manager, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home said: “Thank you to Selaine Saxby MP for introducing this important Bill, and we are pleased to see the significance of the welfare of pets being recognised in Parliament today at its Second Reading. This legislative change is something Battersea has long been campaigning for, and we hope that introducing these new restrictions around the importation and movement of pet dogs and cats into Great Britain will significantly reduce the unnecessary suffering of these animals. We want to see an end to the smuggling of pets and the importation of dogs with cropped ears, an illegal mutilation under UK law.”

Mark Beazley, CEO, The Kennel Club said: "The Kennel Club supports the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill. Illegally importing puppies presents a huge welfare risk to dogs, and as many would have been badly bred in low welfare conditions, the result is they are more at risk of requiring significantly more veterinary care than is usual at a young age, which sadly leads to abandonment. It is imperative that as well as relying on legislation, prospective dog owners do their research in finding out the types of dogs which best suit their lifestyle, and more importantly, know which health tests are available for those breeds of dog so they can check that the breeder has made use of these, and bred their litter prioritising their health and welfare.

“Sadly, many do not know of all the health initiatives on offer which have been funded by The Kennel Club, including our Respiratory Function Grading Scheme which assesses breathing in popular brachycephalic dog breeds such as Pugs, Bulldogs and French Bulldogs.”

Sonul Badiani-Hamment, Country Director, FOUR PAWS UK said:  “FOUR PAWS UK is delighted that this important legislation has today taken another important step towards becoming law, and we thank Selaine Saxby for her tireless work in bringing this Private Members Bill to Parliament. 

“Right now, many thousands of dogs and cats are illegally smuggled into the UK, often experiencing extreme harm and distress along the way. This Bill would introduce much needed restrictions around importation and movement of dogs and cats and would in turn reduce the suffering these animals face at the hands of unethical breeders. It will also prevent some of the wholly unnecessary and brutal mutilations that many animals illegally brought into the UK suffer.  

“We are hopeful that ahead of the Bill’s Committee Stage, MPs from across the House will come together to ensure there is sufficient political will to get this Bill over the line and into law as quickly as possible. The Bill must be robust enough to make a real difference for the companion animals that our nation of animal lovers so dearly cherish, and we are confident that we will soon be able to celebrate a win for cats and dogs across the country.”