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Petition triggers parliamentary debate on dog breeding AN online petition on dog breeding which secured more than 111,500 signatures resulted in a debate in the House of Commons this month. The petition calling for a ban on puppy farming, irresponsible breeding and the sale of puppies and kittens for profit in pet shops was initiated by veterinary surgeon Marc Abraham as part of his Pup Aid campaign, which aims to raise awareness of puppy farming and encourages prospective owners to seek out reputable breeders and ask ‘Where’s mum?’ when buying a puppy. The debate in the House of Commons, on September 4, was sponsored by Robert Flello, Labour MP for Stoke on Trent South. The motion put before MPs asked them to note the problems associated with large-scale commercial puppy breeding establishments and to call on the Government to review existing legislation to ensure that it is consistent with its own guidance that prospective owners should always see a

puppy or kitten with its mother, and to ban the sale of puppies and kittens from retail centres such as pet shops, garden centres or puppy supermarkets. It also noted the support of various charities and animal welfare organisations for such a ban, and called on the Government to work with such organisations to raise public awareness about choosing a dog responsibly. ‘We want action to be taken, but if we can send one message from today’s debate, it is: always ask, “Where’s mum?”’ said Mr Flello. Many MPs spoke in support of the motion, often highlighting their constituents’ concerns about puppy farming. They also raised concerns about the illegal importation of very young puppies, the powers and resources available to local authorities, and the sale of puppies and kittens via the internet. Responding on behalf of the Government, George Eustice,

parliamentary undersecretary of state at Defra, said that progress had been made in a number of areas, including tackling irresponsible owners. Also, a new EU regulation would tighten the rules of the EU pet passport scheme and, from December this year, it would no longer be possible for a dog under 12 weeks of age to be vaccinated before transportation under the scheme. In addition, puppies would not be allowed to be moved out of a country for three weeks after vaccination. ‘In practice, that means that from December this year, no puppy or dog can be lawfully transported to this country under the pet passport scheme unless it is at least 15 weeks old,’ he said. Mr Eustice noted that, while pet shops were a key item of the debate, only about 2 per cent of pet shops – about 70 in total – sold dogs and cats, and all were regulated and licensed. He also confirmed that local authorities had the power to place

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News & Reports restrictions on which animals could be sold at licensed pet shops. Regarding internet sales, he pointed out that the biggest concerns put to the Government by the animal welfare charities were ‘not so much to the problem of puppy farms as to that of backstreet breeders that are completely unregulated and unlicensed’. He reported that, since a voluntary code of practice on advertising had been put in place at the beginning of this year, 100,000 adverts had been removed from the internet. ‘Given the scale of the problem, I hope honourable

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Members will understand that making further progress on the internet continues to be our main priority,’ he said. Summing up, Mr Flello said he hoped that ‘the weight of feeling we have heard expressed in this chamber sends a clear message that more needs to be done now’. He welcomed the clarification that local authorities had the power to act if they felt it was inappropriate for pet shops to sell puppies and kittens, and urged Mr Eustice to write to local authorities to highlight this.

‘The debate has covered a wide spectrum of issues: irresponsible breeders, microchipping, the internet, foreign imports, the requirements of legislation and the requirements of enforcement,’ concluded Mr Flello. ‘I know from my conversations with Labour’s Front-Bench team, and with a host of the charities that have been talked about today, that there is a willingness to work with the Government and alongside Defra to get this right and get it sorted.’ doi: 10.1136/vr.g5528

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Petition triggers parliamentary debate on dog breeding Veterinary Record 2014 175: 243-244

doi: 10.1136/vr.g5528 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/175/10/243

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Petition triggers parliamentary debate on dog breeding.

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