April 2022
Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about puppy smuggling and the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill.
The Government is committed to improving our already world-leading animal welfare standards by delivering a series of ambitious reforms, outlined in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare. In addition, the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill will bring in some of the world’s strongest protections for pets, livestock and kept wild animals. I look forward to supporting the Bill as it makes its way through Parliament.
I would like to reassure you that I take the issue of illegal puppy imports very seriously. I welcome that the Bill will tackle the unethical trade of puppy smuggling by reducing the number of pets, including dogs, cats and ferrets, that can travel under pet travel rules. The Bill also contains an enabling power to allow the Environment Secretary to make regulations about the importation of cats, dogs and ferrets for the purpose of promoting their welfare. Further restrictions could include an increase in the minimum age of imported puppies, as well as the prohibition of the import of pregnant dogs and dogs with mutilations such as cropped ears and tails.
I welcome that the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill has now passed Committee Stage in the House of Commons and will return to the House as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
With best wishes.
Kind regards,
Jonathan Lord
Jonathan Lord MP
Member of Parliament for Woking