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

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prosecutions for trafficking of puppies have taken place in the past 12 months; and whether they plan to introduce any new measures to address such trafficking.

We take the issue of the trafficking of puppies seriously. The Animal and Plant Health Agency is working in partnership with Dogs Trust, enforcement bodies and transport carriers to identify non-compliant animals destined for Dover and Folkestone ports. This partnership began in December 2015 and has resulted in over 650 puppies being seized and placed into quarantine. Should APHA checks identify that a dog has been imported, but is not compliant with the import rules, the relevant local authority is informed.

Local authorities are responsible for taking enforcement action when puppies and dogs are discovered to be non-compliant with importation rules. Details of prosecutions in 2016 are reported in the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s ‘Return of expenditure incurred and prosecutions taken under the Animal Health Act 1981 and incidences of disease in imported animals for the year 2016’. In 2016 there were five prosecutions for the illegal importation or landing of dogs under the Rabies (Importation of Dogs, Cats and Other Mammals) Order 1974 and The Trade in Animals and Regulated Products Regulations.

It is also important to recognise the illegal trafficking of dogs is ultimately driven by demand. Defra has published guidance on buying a pet. This guidance contains guidelines to follow when buying a dog such as buying from a reputable supplier and viewing the animal and its documentation, and also highlights the trade in illegal imports. Defra also works closely with the Pet Advertising Advisory Group to drive up standards for online advertisements and make potential pet owners and website operators more aware of rogue dealers.