Introduce a licensing scheme to control the purchase of live animals from pet shops and breeders. Obtaining the license should require proof of knowledge on how to properly care for the animal in question. The license would also feature a cooling off period to prevent the impulse buying of animals.
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Potential animal owners would be prevented from impulse buying, which is currently responsible for the overcrowding and stretched resources of many animal rescue charities, and the needless abandonment and neglect suffered by many unfortunate pets.
Putting this simple safeguard in place could ease the pressure currently felt by many animal rescue centres, and in many cases prevent cases of cruelty and neglect from happening at all. The license could be processed through the gov.uk website.