Asked by
To ask His Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to
improve the welfare of domestic animals.
(Con)
My Lords, in begging leave to ask the Question standing in my
name on the Order Paper, I note my interest as vice-chairman of
the APPG on Cats.
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs () (Con)
My Lords, the Government are committed to the ambitious agenda
detailed in our manifesto and Our Action Plan for Animal Welfare.
We have delivered six pieces of primary and four pieces of
secondary legislation. We supported three Private Members’ Bills
and have one statutory instrument before Parliament. We launched
the animal health and welfare pathway for farm animals in England
and we will introduce and support legislative and non-legislative
reforms to improve animal welfare during this parliamentary
Session and beyond.
(Con)
My Lords, I congratulate the Government on introducing a
compulsory microchipping scheme for cats, which is excellent
news. As we know, the kept animals Bill is not going ahead and
there will be separate legislation to implement it. A key
proposal was to tackle the horrible crime of pet theft,
specifically of dogs—I am afraid that cats did not get much of a
look-in, despite the fact that the wicked crime of cat theft is
on the increase, having quadrupled since 2015. Can my noble
friend the Minister tell us when legislation introducing a
specific offence of pet abduction will be brought forward and
confirm that it will be in this parliamentary Session, as there
must be no delay? Will he commit to including cats in it from the
outset, given that the devastating impact of losing a beloved cat
is just as dreadful and painful as the loss of a dog?
(Con)
I pay tribute to my noble friend for his keen interest in this
issue. He is absolutely right that the theft of a pet can have a
devastating effect, not just on the welfare of the pet but on the
owner. I am pleased that we intend to legislate on this during
the remainder of this Parliament. Our new approach to measures
that were previously in the kept animals Bill means that we can
go further; we could include cats in the offence of pet
abduction, which campaigners have been calling for. We recently
legislated to require cat microchipping, in addition to dogs,
which can provide an effective deterrent against theft. In the
meantime, other recommendations from the pet theft task force are
being taken forward.
(CB)
My Lords, as a nation of animal lovers we have a somewhat
paradoxical attitude to animal welfare, in that some of our most
popular dog breeds have such extreme physical conformations that
they are predisposed to lifelong health problems. A good
example—or bad example, I should say—is the so-called
brachycephalic breeds, with very short noses. They suffer chronic
respiratory problems, birthing difficulties and a host of other
problems throughout their lives. In the light of the actions
taken on health and welfare grounds by the Dutch and Norwegian
Governments on the breeding of certain dogs, what is His
Majesty’s Government’s assessment of the health and welfare
consequences of breeding brachycephalic breeds, such as the
French bulldog and pug?
(Con)
My Lords, the Government keep abreast of issues in breeding dogs
through our engagements with the sector, including with the UK
Brachycephalic Working Group. The Government prohibited the
licensed breeding of dogs where their genetic traits, physical
characteristics or health could reasonably be expected to result
in health or welfare problems for the mother or puppies.
Additionally, we raise awareness of issues associated with
low-welfare supply of pets through our Petfished campaign.
(Con)
My Lords, as my noble friend the Minister is aware, the Covid
pandemic led to a lot of people buying dogs for company and
exercise. Since this time, many of these dogs have been rehomed,
putting increased pressure on the dog charities. There also seems
to be an alarming increase in puppies being born but not housed.
Is there something the Government can do to keep an eye on this
and help the charities involved?
(Con)
The dog charities are doing wonderful work on this. I
particularly praise the Dogs Trust, having recently visited one
of its rehoming units. There is a serious issue around people
being encouraged to spend enormous amounts of money to import
pets from countries such as Romania, with a heart-rending story
involving the welfare of a dog from there. But we have a large
number of dogs that need to be rehomed here, through a process
that is properly managed by really good charities, such as the
Dogs Trust. I urge people to take that path, rather than spending
hundreds of pounds on what is becoming an industry. While some
people are doing it well, some are not. I encourage people to go
through a registered charity and home UK stray dogs that need
rehoming as a priority.
of Hardington Mandeville
(LD)
My Lords, we have debated a number of statutory instruments that
aim to improve the health and well-being of animals, including
those on the prevention of puppy and kitten smuggling, and on the
latest ban of electric dog collars. In the past, commercial
kennels have been regulated, including their size,
weatherproofing and bedding, and the separation of dogs from
different owners was introduced. Can the Minister say whether
these measures have been successful? How often are commercial
kennels inspected?
(Con)
We work with local authorities to make sure that that is
happening. There is a standard required and I am pleased that it
has been brought in. I am open to any suggestions of where there
has been a failure in regulation, inspection or the physical
circumstances of a dog. It is important that this standard is
universally applied.
of Ullock (Lab)
My Lords, while much online animal torture content originates
from abroad, some appalling photos and videos shared on social
media platforms involve the abuse of domestic animals in the UK.
In opposing my noble friend Lady Merron’s amendment to the Online
Safety Bill yesterday, the Government insisted not only that
online instances of animal mistreatment are covered by the 2006
Act, and are therefore in Defra’s remit, but that prosecutions
against abusers are regularly brought. Can the Minister confirm
the number of successful prosecutions in each of the last three
years?
(Con)
I do not have that information to hand. However, I hope that all
in the House agree that posting grotesque acts of animal
barbarity online should be controlled. We have to make sure that
we have control over legislation that affects people in this
country. If this is being done around the world, it is not
impossible to legislate against it but it is more complicated. We
want to make sure that, through this and other legislation, we
are doing this in the right way and legislating where we can be
effective.
(CB)
A very interesting point is that a dog can help humanise homeless
people and others who are a bit lost, looking for their way in
life. The problem is that there are few places where homeless
people can take their dogs. It would be a good idea for the
Government to lean on some of these hostels and temporary
accommodation places to provide more for the dogs that people
bring with them.
(Con)
The noble Lord is absolutely right. For people who are in a
particularly vulnerable state, whether they have a home or not, a
pet can be an extraordinary addition to their life and can help
their circumstances. Whether hostels allow dogs is a matter for
the people who control those hostels. They might be able to work
with organisations that can house the dog while the person is in
a refuge, if those kinds of local partnerships are available. I
am happy to discuss with the noble Lord how we can make more of
that sort of thing available.
(Con)
My Lords, my noble friend the Minister is aware of the increasing
number of attacks on young children by dogs. Some terrible things
are happening as a result of dog owners’ negligence. Does my
noble friend agree that we should spend more of our resources on
educating people who want dogs, so that they look after them,
discipline them and make sure that these awful attacks do not
take place?
(Con)
Every time there is one of these attacks, there is a horrendous,
heart-sinking story behind it. That is why we are working with
professional organisations to ensure that the wrong kinds of dogs
are not being kept in homes and that people are aware of how they
should manage that risk. Sometimes the most tame and genial dog
can turn in a heartbeat and become something that can damage a
child or even take their life. It is a horrendous situation, and
we are working with police forces and third sector organisations
to make sure that we keep these awful tragedies to a minimum.
(LD)
My Lords, I return to cats and declare an interest as the
property of a very sophisticated cat called Loki. Is the Minister
aware of the problem of cats that are abandoned, particularly in
rural areas, before they are microchipped, and the damage they do
to other cats and wildlife generally? What can we do about
that?
(Con)
Millions of birds are killed by cats every year. We want cats to
be owned and managed. The noble Viscount’s point is really
important and also applies to dogs. If people are buying a cat,
they need to go to a registered owner and make sure that it has
been microchipped, which is now the law. Buying pets in pub car
parks is where the problem starts. They have to be bought through
a registered owner and people need to understand that a cat is
for life, not just for Christmas.
