More than 50 MPs and peers were welcomed at an event at the
House of Commons this week to raise awareness of the urgency
to progress the sidelined Kept Animals Bill which would tackle
the illegal trade of puppy smuggling – a manifesto promise from
the current Government.
More than 50 MPs and peers attended to support the Dogs Trust
event held on Tuesday 9 May, discussing with the charity how they
can work together to end the illegal puppy trade by ensuring the
Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill is passed by
Parliament.
The Kept Animals Bill includes provisions to tackle abuse of the
Pet Travel Scheme (PETS), which the charity has been exposing
since 2014. Unscrupulous traders continue to take advantage of
the scheme to illegally import underage puppies – which are often
unvaccinated and in poor welfare conditions – to be sold to
unsuspecting buyers, while turning a huge profit for themselves
at the cost of animal welfare.
Additionally, these unlawful traders are increasingly
transporting heavily pregnant dogs which can cause significant
suffering and health implications to the mum, puppies and
potentially unsuspecting buyers. The Bill would also help tackle
this issue by restricting the movement of pregnant
dogs.
Attending MPs and peers spoke with members of Dogs Trust staff
about the importance of passing the Bill, and how it will improve
various areas of animal welfare as well as learning about the
charity’s ongoing campaign to end puppy smuggling. At the event,
MPs and peers pledged to work collaboratively with Dogs
Trust to end the illegal and abhorrent trade.
Paula Boyden, Dogs Trust Veterinary Director, said:
“I’m pleased that there has been strong attendance at this event
with some engaging conversations, however it’s equally
disappointing that the Government continues to stall the Bill
which would be a step in the right direction to end the puppy
smuggling trade, despite the clear support of its members in
welcoming the Bill back to Parliament.
“The Government mustn’t sit on this any longer; it pledged to
crack down on the illegal smuggling of dogs and puppies back in
2019, and it could easily make good on this commitment by passing
the Bill now.”
The charity has been calling for the public to email the Prime
Minister and demand that his Government delivers its manifesto
commitment to stop puppy smuggling and bring back the Bill to
Parliament. To date over 40,000 members of the public have shown
their support.
