28 Jul 2022
Government officials say they are “concerned” by the growth of new clinics and could change the law, but a charity fears reform proposed by the RCVS would not go far enough.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Regulators’ reform proposals would not be enough to tighten the rules on canine fertility clinics (CFCs), campaigners have warned.
Defra said it is considering changing the law around the types of procedures non-vets can perform, after recent research by the Naturewatch Foundation revealed a tenfold increase in the number of CFCs in the UK over the past two years.
But the charity said it would have “serious concerns” if a proposal made to the department by the RCVS for an exemption order covering insemination procedures is implemented.
The foundation has called for legal and regulatory loopholes to be closed after its analysis showed the number of CFCs in the UK jumped from 37 in February 2020 to 339 in June of this year.
In response, Defra said it is considering making changes to the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 “that may include the way procedures are delegated to non-vets”, though no details or timescales have been disclosed.
A spokesperson said: “We are concerned that the number of establishments offering canine fertility related services appears to have grown in recent years.
“Medical procedures performed on animals or pets should only be undertaken by authorised veterinary professionals.”
The department pointed out that animal welfare is a devolved area. The Welsh Government has already introduced new rules that bar sellers from offering dogs they haven’t bred themselves.
Defra said local councils will also have access to officers who enforce welfare standards through their roles in licensing breeders and sellers, and other animal-related activities such as riding schools.
The RCVS has proposed an exemption order for intravaginal artificial insemination of bitches, which would require lay people to “undergo relevant training and satisfy certain conditions” before they could carry out the procedure.
But the Naturewatch Foundation said: “We don’t feel that is sufficient to deal with this issue.”
Senior BVA figures have also voiced their concerns about the sector, while vets are being urged to share their views on CFCs in the foundation’s ongoing online survey, which closes on 21 August.
