Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to support animal welfare organisations in tackling (a) ear cropping and (b) puppy smuggling.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence in England and Wales to carry out a non-exempted mutilation, including the cropping of a dog’s ears. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 creates tougher penalties for anyone convicted of such an offence face, either being sent to prison for up to five years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.
Defra supports the work of the Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) which includes in its membership some of the country’s key animal welfare organisations. To ensure that advertisements for pets are legal and ethical, PAAG has developed a set of advertising standards which several of the UK’s largest classified websites have agreed to meet. The standards prohibit engaged websites from hosting adverts for dogs whose ears have been cropped.
Defra regularly engages with stakeholders, including veterinary and animal welfare professionals, on a range of animal welfare issues, including the illegal smuggling of pets into the UK.
The Government supports the Private Members’ Bill, Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, introduced by the hon. Member for North Devon on restricting the importation and non-commercial movement of pets. The Bill will contain powers that will enable future regulations for commercial and non-commercial movements of pets into the UK including prohibiting the import of dogs with cropped ears.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with local authorities to enhance enforcement against (a) puppy smuggling and (b) the sale of dogs with cropped ears.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence in England and Wales to carry out a non-exempted mutilation, including the cropping of a dog’s ears. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 creates tougher penalties for anyone convicted of such an offence face, either being sent to prison for up to five years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.
The Government supports the Private Members’ Bill, Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, introduced by the hon. Member for North Devon on restricting the importation and non-commercial movement of pets. The Bill will contain powers that will enable future regulations for commercial and non-commercial movements of pets into the United Kingdom including prohibiting the import of dogs with cropped ears.
Defra regularly engages with stakeholders, including local authorities, on a range of animal welfare issues, including the smuggling of pets into the UK and the cropping of dogs’ ears.
Create a national welfare team to oversee kennels holding seized dogs
- 526 Signatures
(Estimated Final Signatures: 1,980 - 9 added in the past 24hrs)
We want the Government to create an independent national welfare team to monitor kennels used by police forces. This should include checking that staff are trained to meet the welfare standards in the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and reporting those who fail to meet those standards for prosecution.
Found: Create a national welfare team to oversee kennels holding seized dogs
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
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 has taken help tackle the import of dogs with cropped ears since 1 January 2024.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is already an offence in England and Wales to carry out a non-exempted mutilation, including the cropping of a dog’s ears or the docking of their tails. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 creates tougher penalties for anyone convicted of such an offence face, either being sent to prison for up to five years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.
The Government supports the Private Members’ Bill, Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, introduced by the hon. Member for North Devon on restricting the importation and non-commercial movement of pets. The Bill will contain powers that will enable future regulations for commercial and non-commercial movements of pets into the United Kingdom including prohibiting the import of dogs with cropped ears.
Found: This commitment was also included in the govern ment’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare in May 2021.
Mar. 20 2024
Source Page: Annual report on the operation of the UK internal market 2023 to 2024Found: welfare. 3.6 Regulatory developments that we focus on in this section have been identified by
Mar. 19 2024
Source Page: FOI responses published by MOD: week commencing 18 March 2024Found: conditions of flight to be specified in Med Docs) Flying 2005 Permanently unfit flying duties Flying 2006
Mar. 19 2024
Source Page: Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: June 2023Found: non-motoring108a Animal Cruelty under sections 4-8 under Animal Welfare Act 20061082910829 - Causing
Mar. 19 2024
Source Page: Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: June 2023Found: Depositing and leaving litter in a Royal Park • Use pedal cycle in a Royal Park • Failing to remove animal
Mar. 19 2024
Source Page: New measures to help protect poultry industry from bird fluFound: health and welfare legislation (in particular, the Animal Health Act 1981 and Europe wide legislation