I would like to assure you that Ministers are committed to cracking down on puppy smuggling and will ban the imports of young or heavily pregnant dogs, as well as dogs with mutilations, such as cropped ears or docked tails. Applying strengthened penalties will send a clear message that animal cruelty will not be tolerated and will enable our courts to take a firmer approach to cases where pets are illegally imported. I know that the Government would be supportive of legislation to ban this through a single-issue Bill when parliamentary time allows.
The UK has one of the most
rigorous pet travel border checking regimes in the world and I am aware that
every dog travelling into Great Britain on approved routes has its microchip
and paperwork checked to make sure they are all properly vaccinated and are old
enough to travel. In addition, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs (Defra) consulted on proposed changes to the commercial and
non-commercial movements of pets into Great Britain. Defra has been carefully
reviewing feedback from this consultation, and I look forward to reading a
summary in due course.
Further, Ministers have taken
action to tackle the practice of puppy farming. Following the introduction of
Lucy’s Law in 2020, everyone must now buy directly from breeders or consider
adopting from rescue centres, which is a major step in stopping the illegal pet
trade. If an individual sells puppies or kittens without a licence, they could
receive an unlimited fine or be sent to prison for up to six months.
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