A bill proposed by a Hampshire MP to address the illegal trafficking of dogs, cats, and ferrets is poised to become law after successfully passing through the House of Commons.
The legislation, championed by Danny Chambers, the Liberal Democrat MP for Winchester and a veterinarian, aims to curb the importation of animals that have undergone mutilation or are in advanced stages of pregnancy.
Furthermore, the bill grants the government the authority to restrict the import of puppies and kittens younger than six months, raising the current minimum age of 15 weeks.
The bill’s next step is consideration in the House of Lords before it can be enacted into law.
The government, which formally endorsed Dr. Chambers’ private member’s bill in November, noted a significant increase in the “non-commercial” movement of pets, rising from 100,000 in 2011 to over 320,000 in 2023.
Dr. Chambers emphasized the urgent need to stop the mutilation of dogs, citing ear cropping as a primary concern.
“Since it’s illegal, veterinarians aren’t performing these procedures, and we’re aware that individuals are cropping ears within the UK, often without anesthesia, leading to frequent infections,” he stated.
“This causes lasting physical and psychological harm to the dog. It’s purely for aesthetic reasons – to make them appear tougher, more vicious, or mean, even if they aren’t.”
Other forms of mutilation may include tail docking in dogs and declawing in cats.
The adoption of private members’ bills, proposed by MPs selected through a random ballot, is relatively uncommon.
The Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill further prohibits the import of pregnant dogs and cats beyond 42 days of gestation and sets limits on the number of animals transported in a single vehicle.
In a social media post following the bill’s passage through the House of Commons, Dr. Chambers remarked: “I couldn’t have asked for a better way to mark my first year as an MP.
“Too many animals have suffered at the hands of criminal abusers, and as a veterinarian, witnessing the passage of this bill means the world to me.”
The Dogs Trust supports his bill, highlighting the case of three Cane Corso puppies found to have been illegally brought into the UK.
Sunny, Ray, and Sky were transported from Romania at 13 weeks old without proper health certificates, violating the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) by failing to comply with commercial legislation.
The puppies were underweight, anxious, and had already undergone ear cropping and tail docking.
The charity stated that the legislative changes would help “protect more dogs from suffering due to illegal importers.”
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