November 2023
Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about puppy smuggling.
I am very sympathetic to your views; I have actively and strongly supported local animal welfare campaigners on this matter over the past few years.
I would like to assure you that Ministers and I are committed to cracking down on puppy smuggling and will ban the imports of young or heavily pregnant dogs, as well as dogs with mutilations, such as cropped ears or docked tails. Applying strengthened penalties will send a clear message that animal cruelty will not be tolerated and will enable our courts to take a firmer approach to cases where pets are illegally imported. I know that the Government would be supportive of legislation to ban this through a single-issue Bill when parliamentary time allows.
The UK has one of the most rigorous pet travel border checking regimes in the world and I am aware that every dog travelling into Great Britain on approved routes has its microchip and paperwork checked to make sure they are all properly vaccinated and are old enough to travel. In addition, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) consulted on proposed changes to the commercial and non-commercial movements of pets into Great Britain. Defra has been carefully reviewing feedback from this consultation, and I look forward to reading a summary in due course.
Ministers have taken action to tackle the practice of puppy farming. Following the introduction of Lucy’s Law in 2020, everyone must now buy directly from breeders or consider adopting from rescue centres, which is a major step in stopping the illegal pet trade. If an individual sells puppies or kittens without a licence, they could and should receive an unlimited fine or be sent to prison for up to six months.
Please be assured that I will continue to monitor the progress on this matter very closely indeed and, where appropriate, will raise our shared views in conversation with relevant ministers.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
With best wishes,
Kind regards,
Jonathan Lord MP
Member of Parliament for Woking