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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will make an assessment of the impact of breeding brachycephalic animals as pets on the welfare of those animals; and whether her Department plans to bring forward measures to help safeguard the welfare of brachycephalic animals that are bred to be kept as pets.

Defra meets regularly with a range of animal welfare and companion animal sector organisations and is kept abreast of concerns relating to brachycephaly in companion animals. Brachycephalic companion animals bred to be sold and kept as pets are already protected under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the 2018 Regulations). The 2018 Regulations require anyone in the business of breeding and selling dogs and/or who breeds three or more litters of dogs in a twelve-month period, as well as anyone in the business of breeding and selling rabbits or cats as pets, needs to hold a valid licence issued by their local authority.

Under the 2018 Regulations, licensed dog breeders are prohibited from breeding dogs if it can be reasonably expected that on the basis of their genotype, phenotype or health, this would lead to welfare problems for the mother or the puppies, and licensed pet sellers are required to protect any animals bred for sale as a pet from pain, suffering, injury and disease.

To support consumers and reduce the opportunities available to unscrupulous breeders and sellers, Defra maintains a national communications campaign (Petfished) to raise awareness of issues associated with low-welfare and illegal supply of pets.