Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill

Danny Chambers Excerpts

2nd reading
Friday 29th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Dr Danny Chambers (Winchester) (LD)]

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time.

As we know, tens of thousands of puppies are illegally smuggled into the UK every year; it is a huge animal welfare problem. This Bill will help to close the issue of having mutilations in dogs. As a veterinary surgeon, I see many dogs with cropped ears and docked tails—acts that are illegal to perform in the UK. People are performing those acts in the UK then claiming that the puppies have been brought in from abroad. If we ban puppies coming in from abroad with those mutilations, it will be of huge benefit to animal welfare.

The Bill will also protect public health, because we know that the tens of thousands of dogs being brought in are not being tested for diseases such as rabies, which can affect people. This is also about serious organised crime: preventing tens of thousands of puppies being brought into the UK will help us to tackle the criminal gangs doing those acts.

In the interests of time, I will finish by saying that I am pleased to have cross-party support on this issue as well as the support of the entire veterinary profession. I thank the Dogs Trust, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the British Veterinary Association for all the work they did to help to make this happen.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

Does the hon. Member for Winchester (Dr Chambers) wish to come back in?

[Dr Chambers]

indicated dissent.

[Mr Speaker]

Good.

Question put and agreed to.

[Applause.]