Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to discourage pet owners from breeding animals with extreme conformation including brachycephalic dogs with welfare conditions.

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the 2018 Regulations) were developed to help improve welfare standards across a range of activities involving animals that are licensed by local authorities, including the selling of animals as pets and dog breeding.

Under the 2018 Regulations local authorities have powers to grant, refuse or revoke a licence. Licences must achieve and maintain statutory minimum animal welfare standards, linked to the welfare needs of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the 2006 Act), and local authorities have the power to grant, refuse or revoke a licence. Defra publishes supporting guidance for the 2018 Regulations which is statutory, meaning that local authorities need to follow it. This aims to improve consistency in interpretation and application of the licensing regime across England. The guidance is available on GOV.UK, please see here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/animal-activities-licensing-guidance-for-local-authorities/.

Under the 2018 Regulations, licensed breeders are prohibited from breeding dogs if it can be reasonably expected that on the basis of their genotype, phenotype or health, this would lead to welfare problems for the mother or the puppies which applies in the case of brachycephalic breeds. Both licensed and unlicensed animal breeders are required under the 2006 Act to protect the animals involved in breeding from harm and to provide for their welfare in line with good practice. A breach of these provisions may lead to imprisonment, a fine, or both.

In the case of dogs and cats, the 2006 Act is backed up by statutory codes of practice which provide owners and keepers with general welfare information, including a specific section on how to protect them from pain, suffering, injury and disease. Both codes of practice recommend that owners seek the advice of a veterinary professional who can advise on the risks of inherited conditions and exaggerated features. The codes also reinforce the requirement for owners to take all reasonable steps to ensure that they are able to provide the care required during pregnancy.

Additionally, Defra maintains a national communications campaign (Petfished) to raise awareness of issues associated with the supply of low-welfare pets. This includes providing clear signposting on where responsible breeders and rehoming centres can be found and encouraging prospective buyers to research the seller thoroughly before they visit and decide to purchase. The campaign provides a list of red flags for buyers to look out for when searching for a pet online and highlights the importance of ensuring that the dog’s physical appearance has minimal adverse impact to their physical well-being and welfare. More information can be found here: https://getyourpetsafely.campaign.gov.uk/.

Lastly, Defra also works alongside members of the Brachycephalic Working Group to work to improve the health and welfare of brachycephalic dogs. Further information on the group and its work can be found here: http://www.ukbwg.org.uk/.