Government announces support for the Animal Welfare (Import of
Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Private Members Bill.
An end to the cruel trade in puppy smuggling has moved closer
today (Friday 29th November) following the announcement of
Government support for a new Private Members' Bill.
This Bill delivers on a manifesto commitment to crack-down on
puppy smuggling by closing loopholes exploited by unscrupulous
commercial traders. It will give the Government powers to ban the
import of puppies and kittens under six months, and dogs and cats
that are mutilated or heavily pregnant.
The Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill –
sponsored by Dr MP – will make it more
difficult and less profitable for traders to fraudulently import
animals for sale under the disguise of owners traveling with
their own pets, addressing the current abuse of non-commercial
rules that compromise animal welfare and biosecurity.
The latest data shows that the number of non-commercial movements
of pets rose from 100,000 in 2011 to over 320,000 in 2023 – and
with it the risk of fraudulent activity.
Baroness , Animal Welfare Minister, said:
The smuggling of pets is an appalling trade with no place in our
society, a nation of animal lovers. We promised safer streets and
we will stop these horrific criminals profiting from
cruelty.
This important legislation is the first step in achieving our
manifesto commitment to deliver the biggest boost in animal
welfare in a generation.
MP said:
As a vet, I've treated many dogs with cruelly cropped ears or
docked tails, leaving them physically scarred and emotionally
traumatised. There is no excuse for these mutilations in the 21st
century.
But this bill is about more than animal welfare. We're also
protecting public health because dogs that have been smuggled
into the UK could be carrying terrifying diseases that affect
humans, such as rabies.
By taking advantage of policy loopholes, criminals have been able
to traffic vulnerable animals into the UK. This gap in the system
has caused the suffering of thousands of innocent animals. As a
vet, I think it is time we close this loophole, stop it from
being exploited by organised criminals, and put an end to this
cruel trade once and for all.
Owen Sharp, CEO of Dogs Trust, said:
We are delighted that MP has committed to taking
forward a Bill to finally put an end to puppy smuggling. Dogs
Trust have been campaigning for over 10 years to end the
suffering of countless numbers of dogs caught up in this
abhorrent trade, and we hope this marks a real step forward for
dog welfare in the UK.
We have come close to putting an end to this cruel trade with
multiple Bills proposed to tackle this issue in previous years,
sadly none of them have made it onto the statute books. We hope
that this time will be different, and we can finally end puppy
smuggling.
David Bowles, RSPCA Head of Public Affairs,
said:
We welcome the Government's support for this Bill aiming to crack
down on pet smuggling and to halt the import of animals which
have undergone mutilations in the name of ‘fashion'.
The smuggling issue has never been more important. The RSPCA's
investigation teams continue to deal with many reports from the
public who have been misled and ended up buying a sick puppy who
had not been home-bred as advertised but had in fact been
trafficked into the UK illegally.
The proposals could also ban the import of animals who have
undergone painful mutilation procedures - such as cropped ears or
docked tails - which are illegal in the UK. The loophole in the
legislation unfortunately allowing animals to be imported with
these mutilations already carried out means many of these animals
continue to suffer in order to be sold on in the UK.
If these proposals become a reality, it will be a huge step
forward for animal welfare.
The UK is the currently highest ranked G7 nation according to
World Animal Protection's Index. By supporting this Bills, the
Government is delivering on a key manifesto commitment to end
puppy smuggling and enhance the UK's world-leading animal welfare
standards further.
