5 Apr 2024
Ministers have been urged to prioritise the passing of new veterinary sector legislation among a series of recommendations to improve pet welfare.
Allister Webb
Job TitleA group of MPs has urged the Government to prioritise new veterinary sector legislation, condemning penalties available under the existing law as “derisory”.
The measure is one of 17 separate recommendations proposed in a report on pet welfare and abuse by the Commons EFRA select committee, which has been published today (5 April).
Long-standing agreement exists within the professions about the need for a new law to replace the current Veterinary Surgeons Act, which dates back to 1966.
Further questions were raised by the publication of the Competition and Markets Authority’s review last month, which suggested existing regulation may not be fit for purpose.
The committee said the Government should prioritise new veterinary legislation, which would also include regulation of canine fertility clinics and fines of up to £5,000 in line with more recent laws.
They added: “The current £100 fine for performing acts of veterinary surgery illegally is a derisory deterrent.”
The report also criticised ministers’ decision to drop the Kept Animals Bill, which it argued had “stalled progress on key animal welfare issues” and demanded all its measures become law during the current Parliament.
Other recommendations include legislating to prevent the importation of mutilated animals, such as dogs with cropped ears or declawed cats, and restrict the sale of DIY ear cropping kits, plus a ban on the importation of puppies and kittens that are aged younger than six months old.
The committee also called for cats to be given similar breeding protections to dogs, reductions in the number of animals that people can import to the UK, improved tracing of stud dogs and the development of a public information campaign on welfare issues such as brachycephalic dog breeds.
Vet and committee member Neil Hudson said: “Animal welfare is something that unites us in humanity across the political divide.
“We very much hope that our report recommendations will be taken up to protect animal health and welfare, and also indirectly to protect human public health.”
