New animal welfare law aims to curb puppy smuggling
According to the association’s Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey, one in five small-animal vets reported seeing puppies they believed had been imported illegally in the past year
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A new law intended to tighten controls on the import of pets has received Royal Assent following a sustained campaign by the British Veterinary Association.
The Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Act introduces measures designed to curb puppy smuggling, restrict the import of dogs and cats with illegal mutilations and reduce the risk of diseases entering the UK.
The legislation was introduced earlier this year as a Private Members’ Bill by vet and MP Danny Chambers, with backing from the association. It raises the minimum age at which puppies can enter the country and prevents heavily pregnant dogs from being brought in. It also bans imports of animals with procedures such as cropped ears, tail docking or declawing, which are illegal in the UK.
According to the association’s Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey, one in five small-animal vets reported seeing puppies they believed had been imported illegally in the past year. French bulldogs accounted for just under half of the cases in which vets raised concerns.
Rob Williams, British Veterinary Association president, said: “Every day, vets in practice see the devastating consequences of puppy smuggling and the loopholes that allow illegal and brutal mutilations like ear cropping and tail docking to continue.
“After years of tireless campaigning by the British Veterinary Association, the wide-ranging measures in this new legislation will finally stop criminal gangs from abusing pet travel rules for profit as well as tackle rising cases of imported diseases, such as Brucella canis, which are not currently endemic to the UK and which can be passed from pets to people.”
Chambers added: “As a vet, I’ve treated many dogs with cruelly cropped ears or docked tails, leaving them physically scarred and emotionally traumatised. Knowing this Bill will help us put a stop to this abuse and have a bigger impact on animal welfare than I could possibly have achieved in a lifetime treating individual animals, demonstrates how important this legislation will prove to be.
“Thanks to the support of organisations like the BVA and other animal welfare nonprofits, we got the Animal Welfare Bill through the Commons, through the Lords, and today passed into law.”
