The Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill has received Royal Assent to become law.
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has hailed the passage of the Bill into law as a huge win for animal welfare, as well as public health.
Introduced as a Private Members’ Bill earlier this year by vet and MP Danny Chambers with support from BVA, this legislation will introduce crucial measures to clamp down on puppy smuggling and ban the import of dogs and cats with illegal mutilations like cropped ears or declawing.
It will also better protect public health by reducing the risk of diseases such as rabies and Brucella canis from being imported into the country, by increasing the minimum age that puppies can enter the UK and preventing heavily pregnant dogs from being brought in.
Data from BVA’s Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey revealed that one-in-five UK small animal vets had seen puppies they believe to have been imported illegally into the country in the last year.
French bulldog puppies were by far the most common breed vets reported concerns about, with just under half (48%) of vets who had seen suspicious puppies referring to this breed.
BVA president Dr Rob Williams MRCVS said: “Every day, vets in practice see the devastating consequences of puppy smuggling and the loopholes that allow illegal and brutal mutilations like ear cropping and tail docking to continue.
“After years of tireless campaigning by the British Veterinary Association, the wide-ranging measures in this new legislation will finally stop criminal gangs from abusing pet travel rules for profit as well as tackle rising cases of imported diseases, such as Brucella canis, which are not currently endemic to the UK and which can be passed from pets to people.”
Danny Chambers, vet and MP for Winchester, added: “As a vet, I’ve treated many dogs with cruelly cropped ears or docked tails, leaving them physically scarred and emotionally traumatised.
“Knowing this Bill will help us put a stop to this abuse and have a bigger impact on animal welfare than I could possibly have achieved in a lifetime treating individual animals, demonstrates how important this legislation will prove to be.
“Thanks to the support of organisations like the BVA and other animal welfare nonprofits, we got the Animal Welfare Bill through the Commons, through the Lords, and passed into law.”
