24 Apr 2023
Vet and MP Neil Hudson, echoes calls by World Horse Welfare and other animal charities following talks with bosses on proposed new border control arrangements.
Allister Webb
Job TitleEquine welfare campaigners have ridden into Westminster to demand that long‑awaited legislation, which they believe can halt the export of live animals for slaughter, finally becomes law.
World Horse Welfare is one of three animal charities to have launched campaigns on issues that, they say, the still‑stalled Kept Animals Bill can address.
The calls have been echoed by MP and vet Neil Hudson, following talks with bosses at the Port of Dover on proposed new border control arrangements.
Senior World Horse Welfare officials – together with famous supporters, including patron and BBC Radio 2 presenter Sara Cox – rode into Parliament Square on 18 April to launch its Stop Horse Smuggling appeal.
The campaign aims to achieve one of the primary aims of charity founder Ada Rose to ban the live export of horses for slaughter.
Although the bill does contain measures to halt live exports for both slaughter and fattening, its fate remains unclear amid growing fears that it may be dropped or watered down.
World Horse Welfare chief executive Roly Owers, who was among the riders in the procession, said: “We have the chance to stop this practice once and for all, but time is running out.
“As the country prepares for a general election, probably next year, the bill will be put aside unless it is adopted soon.
“Without doubt, our aim is to raise awareness in the minds of MPs and make sure that this opportunity is not lost.”
To donate to the campaign, visit bit.ly/3mT1gcP
Despite pressure from charities, veterinary groups including the BVA and Conservative backbench MPs, the Government has persistently refused to say when the bill is likely to return to Parliament.
A Defra spokesperson told Vet Times: “The UK has some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and we are fully committed to delivering our manifesto commitments on animal welfare.
“The Leader of the House will set out parliamentary business – including legislative timings for the Kept Animals Bill – in the usual way.”
However, he would not be drawn on whether that indicated an announcement could be made in the near future.
Dr Hudson also highlighted the issue of export for slaughter as he argued the bill was equally necessary to tackle what he described as the “abhorrent pet smuggling trade that is taking place on an industrial scale right before our eyes”.
He continued: “Since the pandemic there has been a tragic rise in criminal activity with smugglers finding ever more sophisticated ways to get the better of authorities.
“We need to see the return of the Kept Animals Bill to Parliament, which has measures to clamp down on legislative loopholes that enable the trade.”
The Kept Animals Bill is also seen as a vital tool in reducing the importation of dogs with cropped ears, which is the subject of a new Mutilated for Money campaign launched by the RSPCA and Hope Rescue.
They are calling on supporters to write to their MPs to demand their backing for tighter rules, after new RSPCA research suggested 87% of respondents support an import ban for dogs with cropped ears.
Although its figures show a slight fall in reported cases last year compared with 2021, the RSPCA said at least one new case of the mutilation is being reported every day.
The research also suggested more than 1 in 10 (11%) of people know someone who owns a dog with cropped ears – this increases to 21% among people aged 18 to 34.
Sam Gaines, head of the RSPCA’s companion animals team, said: “Dogs should never be mutilated for cosmetic purposes and, while this practice has been illegal in this country for a long, long time, we’d like to see more regulation to ensure it’s no longer possible to get a cropped dog in England and Wales, unless rescuing through a reputable organisation.”
Vanessa Waddon, Hope Rescue’s senior head of operations, added: “We are urging the public to not buy into this cruelty and take action if they suspect illegal ear-cropping.
“We’re also urging the UK Government to close the loophole that allows importation of ear-cropped dogs and bring back the Kept Animals Bill before time runs out.”
More details about the campaign can be found via bit.ly/3mSBL4Q
