Naturewatch Foundation
Naturewatch Foundation - Advancing Animal Welfare
Following evidence supplied by Naturewatch Foundation and others, the EFRA Select Committee of MPs has called for a crackdown on canine fertility clinics and unlicensed breeding.
Last year, we gave evidence to the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee, as part of its Pet Welfare & Abuse inquiry. The Committee has now released the outcome of its inquiry, and we’re pleased to see our findings have helped inform their recommendations.
What is the EFRA Committee calling for?
Canine fertility clinics
- Veterinary law should be reformed, with a new Act of Parliament introduced. This should include regulation of canine fertility clinics.
- The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) should work with local authorities and sector bodies to produce any guidance that would be required for local authorities to regulate fertility clinics.
- Fines for carrying out veterinary surgery illegally should be increased from £100 and brought into line with the financial penalties available under the Animal (Penalty Notices) Act 2022. Under this Act, fines of up to £5,000 can be issued.
- The government should issue guidance about where members of the public and veterinary profession should report concerns about canine fertility clinics.
- The government should work with the sector on an information campaign to raise awareness of the welfare risks associated with ‘designer’ dogs to help discourage people from acquiring them.
- Male dogs used for breeding, aka ‘stud’ dogs, should be brought under the protection of dog breeding regulations.
Unlicensed breeding
- Dog breeding laws in England should be strengthened, with the threshold for when a breeder should be licensed reduced from three litters per year, to two.
- Information about licensed breeders should be publicly available.
- Clearer guidance about breeding for health should be published to help local authority enforcers and prevent people using dogs with genetic health issues for extreme breeding.
- Cat breeding should be regulated.
Our response
We’re pleased that the Committee has taken many of our concerns and recommendations on board, and thank them for engaging with us as part of the inquiry. We’ve been campaigning for a crackdown on canine fertility clinics for several years and we’ve been advocating for better welfare protections for pets used for breeding for even longer.
Our companion animal campaign manager, Natalie Harney, said, “These are welcome recommendations and it’s now over to the government to set out what it will do to improve protections for pets exploited for profit. Unregulated canine fertility clinics and unlicensed breeding cause misery to thousands of dogs each year, and loopholes mean too many pets simply slip through the cracks. As a nation, we love our pets as family; it’s time to ensure the law that protects them is fit for purpose.”
Naturewatch Foundation would like to thank all of the individuals and organisations that worked with us last year provide evidence to the inquiry, including the All-party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group (APDAWG), the UK Centre for Animal Law (A-LAW), Hope Rescue Centre, Focus on Animal Law (FOAL), Jordan Shelley, animal welfare campaigner, Scottish SPCA and the British Veterinary Association (BVA).
What happens next?
The government has until 5th June to produce a response. In the meantime, we’ll be writing to DEFRA to urge them to take action and to offer our support. There is a general election this year, so we’ll also be contacting the major political parties to draw their attention to the report and ask them what they’ll do to protect pets if they form the next government.
Where can I find out more?
Find out more about our campaign against canine fertility clinics here.
Learn more about our work to end unscrupulous pet breeding here.
The post MPs call for crackdown on canine fertility clinics and unlicensed breeding first appeared on Naturewatch Foundation and is written by Morwenna.