I welcome the new legislation that has been laid before Parliament today by Environment Secretary Michael Gove. The raft of measures he introduced will crackdown on unscrupulous puppy breeders and protect puppies so they have the best possible start in life.
The legislation will come into force later this year and includes measures that:
- Ensure licensed dog breeders show puppies alongside their mother before a sale is made
- Require puppy sales to be completed in the presence of the new owner
- Tackles the sale of weak underage puppies and the breeding of unhealthy dogs with severe genetic disorders
- Bans licensed sellers from dealing in puppies and kittens under the age of eight weeks
The Government has also issued a call for evidence on a possible ban on third party sales. If implemented, it would mean anyone looking to buy or adopt a dog will either deal directly with the breeder or with one of the nation’s many animal rehousing centres. All interested parties are invited by the Government to share their views by 2nd May 2018 on how this could best be introduced. The plans have been widely welcomed, including by animal welfare charities such as the RSPCA and the Kennel Club.
Improving protection for puppies and cracking down on the unethical and cruel practices carried out by unscrupulous breeders are issues that I have been urging the Government to take action on for quite some time and I am pleased that legislation has now been introduced. The correspondence I have received suggests that there is not as much of a consensus on introducing a ban on third party sales than there perhaps has been for the other animal welfare measures the Government has introduced so I think it is right that the Government has issued a call for evidence. I know that many of my constituents care deeply about animal welfare and I would urge them to participate in the Government’s consultation. Further information about the consultation and how to participate is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/banning-third-party-sales-o…;