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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support or emergency grant funding her Department provides to animal welfare charities and rescue shelters experiencing high surrender rates of pets.

Defra meets with stakeholders regularly to understand issues and trends that are affecting the companion animal sector, including the impact of the rise in the cost of living on pet keepers and welfare organisations.

This Government does not provide grant funding to animal welfare charities and rescue shelters, however, it welcomes the support such stakeholders are providing such as through pet food banks and financial support with veterinary treatment, which is helping to reduce the pressure on pet owners and the risk of pet abandonment.

Additionally, the Codes of Practice for Dogs and Cats remind prospective owners that owning a pet is a major responsibility, including financial and time implications which should be considered before getting a pet.