Tougher powers to deal with unlawful cat and canine smuggling have taken a big step ahead immediately (15 March) with the announcement of presidency backing for brand spanking new laws.
Delivering on a key manifesto dedication, underneath the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill – a Private Members’ Bill sponsored by Selaine Saxby – laws can be launched to shut present loopholes exploited by immoral breeders and merchants to illegally smuggle cats and dogs into the UK.
There are a big variety of pets imported into the UK yearly, with 320,000 introduced in underneath the Pet Travel Scheme, and 44,000 as industrial imports final 12 months.
Support for this Bill builds on the Government’s efforts to boost our world-leading requirements of animal welfare. The UK was the primary nation on the earth to introduce animal cruelty offences and is the best ranked G7 nation in response to World Animal Protection’s Index.
Measures underneath the Bill will strengthen the Pet Travel Scheme to make sure that nobody is ready to fraudulently import animals on the market underneath the guise of being an proprietor travelling with their very own pets. This consists of lowering the variety of animals that may journey into Great Britain underneath this scheme from 5 per person to 5 per automobile, or three per foot or air passenger in addition to making certain that pet actions take place inside 5 days of the proprietor’s journey.
The Bill will permit for the introduction of additional laws to lift the minimal age for importing a puppy or a kitten from 15 weeks to 6 months, permitting them to develop up forward of being taken on doubtlessly lengthy and worrying journeys which may have an enduring affect on their temperament and behavior.
Secondary laws underneath the Bill additionally permits for the ban on imports of closely pregnant dogs and cats or animals with cropped ears, docked tails or which were declawed.
Ear cropping is a painful course of the place a canine’s outer ears are surgically altered or eliminated to make them look extra aggressive. This inhumane surgical process, which has been unlawful on this nation since 2006, can hinder their skill to speak with different dogs and their homeowners. The majority of those dogs are suspected to have undergone the process abroad and underneath the proposed secondary laws could be banned from coming into the nation.
Environment Secretary Steve Barclay mentioned:
“Pet smuggling is an abhorrent commerce which causes nice struggling to animals.
“As a nation of animal lovers, and a canine lover myself, we won’t settle for this, which is why we’re decided fulfil our manifesto dedication and produce it to an finish.
“This Bill will help protect the health and welfare of thousands of animals that are brought into the country each year and stop criminals looking to profit from the rise in demand for pets. We will do all we can to support its swift passage through Parliament.”
Selaine Saxby MP mentioned:
“I’m glad that the Government is supporting this important Bill and is dedicated to its swift passage to safeguard the welfare of 1000’s of dogs, cats and ferrets that come into Great Britain from abroad annually.
“I wish to thank the tireless campaigning from the pet charities who’ve shared their views about this Bill. I hope they’re reassured by the measures outlined within the Bill, which is able to cease this merciless puppy and kitten smuggling commerce by closing loopholes exploited by unscrupulous industrial merchants.
“We really are a nation of pet lovers, and this legislation will ensure that the UK is a world leader in animal welfare.”
Harriet Main, Public Affairs Manager on the RSPCA, mentioned:
“We know many animal lovers share our concern on the numbers of mutilated dogs and cats; and young and pregnant pets being imported into the nation.
“So we’re delighted that the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill has handed via the Second Reading stage and that we’re one step nearer to dwelling in a rustic with higher safety for our animals.
“This regulation will take steps in the direction of defending animals from the struggling they endure as a part of this commerce, which more and more includes gangs who’re related to critical organised crime.
“It will also protect cats and dogs from painful procedures such as declawing and ear cropping, and will place restrictions on the ages that cats, dogs and ferrets can be brought into the country from overseas, clamping down on the lucrative trade in puppies and kittens which often seriously compromises their welfare and wellbeing. As we strive for a better world for animals, we are delighted that this Bill is progressing.”
Paula Boyden, Veterinary Director at Dogs Trust, says:
“Dogs Trust has been campaigning for harder legal guidelines across the unlawful importation of dogs for over 10 years, throughout which era we now have cared for greater than 3,000 puppies caught up on this abhorrent commerce.
“This Bill will protect numerous dogs and puppies to stop them struggling by the hands of smugglers. We are delighted that, as soon as handed, it is going to be unlawful to import dogs with brutal mutilations, stop closely pregnant dogs from being smuggled in cramped and squalid situations, and ensure puppies are usually not exploited by elevating the age at which they are often imported to 6 months.
“We are grateful to Selaine Saxby MP for taking forward her Private Members Bill and are hopeful with Government backing the bill will be passed into law quickly”
Illegal pet smuggling is commonly related to critical welfare points, and pets discovered to be illegally smuggled face a considerably increased danger of creating sicknesses and even loss of life. This Bill permits the federal government to convey ahead a ban or restrictions on low welfare imports of dogs, cats and ferrets into the UK.
By supporting the Bill, the Government is delivering pledges made in its Action Plan for Animal Welfare to clamp down on puppy smuggling.
We have additionally now achieved our dedication to ship the Kept Animals Bills measures individually, with the entire measures that wanted laws again earlier than Parliament.
Since publishing the Action Plan for Animal Welfare in 2021, we now have additionally introduced in new legal guidelines to recognise animal sentience, launched harder penalties for animal cruelty offences; introduced an extension of the ivory ban to cowl different ivory bearing species; supported laws to ban glue traps, the import of indifferent shark fins and measures to ban the promoting and providing on the market of low welfare actions overseas.
Further info:
Kept Animals Bills measures are:
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The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill – which is barely doable now we now have left the European Union – will put an finish to the export of stay animals for slaughter and fattening from Great Britain, stopping animals enduring pointless stress, exhaustion and harm on lengthy journeys.
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The Pet Abduction Bill – which has authorities assist – will create a brand new particular offence to deal with canine and cat abduction.
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The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill – additionally supported by authorities – will introduce harder powers to deal with livestock worrying incidents.
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We have delivered new laws defending primates, which is able to usher in a strict licensing scheme to make sure that solely non-public keepers who meet new welfare and licensing requirements will have the ability to hold primates.
