Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many dogs were imported into Great Britain under the Pet Travel Scheme by (a) an individual owner, (b) a rehoming organisation based in the animal’s country of origin and (c) a rehoming organisation based in the UK, in each of the last six years.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency does not hold all of the information requested.

Under the Pet Travel Scheme, carriers complete and submit spreadsheets every month detailing their throughput. This is categorised by species, document type, non-compliance data and whether or not it is an assistance animal. Carriers do not provide information regarding who the animal was imported by.

Animals imported under the Balai Directive are imported on an Intra-Trade Animal Health Certificate issued via the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES). TRACES does not record whether the purpose of importation is for rehoming. While TRACES does identify the importer, it does not differentiate which importers are individual owners and which are rehoming organisations.