Last week, the government set out new plans to crack down on puppy smuggling and ban the import of dogs with cropped ears or docked tails.
The new powers, which also include raising the minimum age for importing a puppy from 15 weeks to six months and banning the import of heavily pregnant dogs to help protect puppy and mother welfare, are aimed at safeguarding the welfare of the thousands of puppies and dogs that come into Great Britain from overseas each year.
MP for North East Bedfordshire, Richard Fuller, said:
Puppy smuggling increased by 260 per cent from 2019 to 2020 – it is a cruel trade that we are determined to stamp out to protect puppies’ welfare. The government is building on its commitment in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare by setting out our proposals to raise the minimum age for puppies imported into the UK and banning the importation of dogs which been victims of ear cropping and tail docking.
We will protect dogs from unnecessary suffering and the public from criminals seeking to profit from cruel practices towards animals.
More than 66,000 dogs were commercially imported into the UK last year according to Animal and Plant Health Agency figures. However, evidence shows a recent rise in low-welfare imports and smuggling activity, with border authorities seeing around a 260% increase in the number of young puppies being intercepted for not meeting the UK’s pet import rules – from 324 in 2019 to 843 in 2020.
The proposals are part of a raft of measures included in an eight-week GB-wide consultation which seeks views from the public and stakeholders on government proposals to tackle puppy smuggling and low-welfare imports by unscrupulous breeders and traders.
Puppies that are imported too young face a significantly higher risk of developing illnesses or even death. Raising the minimum age for bringing puppies in to the UK will therefore ensure that they are not separated from their mothers too early and will allow them to develop further ahead of being taken on potentially long and stressful journeys which can have a lasting impact on their temperament and behaviour.
The RSPCA has also recently reported a 620% rise in reports of dogs found to have had their ears cropped, covering from 2015 to 2020. Ear cropping is a painful process where a dog’s outer ears are surgically altered or removed altogether to make them look more aggressive. The surgical procedure, which has been illegal in this country since 2006, can hinder their ability to communicate with other dogs and their owners. The majority of these dogs are suspected to have undergone the procedure overseas and under the new rules set out in the consultation launched today they would be banned from entering the country.
To take part in the consultation which closes on 16 October, please visit this page.
