Dog lovers in Tynedale and Ponteland will soon be assured about the health and welfare of their puppies thanks to a proposed new law in Parliament.
Under the Animal Welfare (importation of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, people selling pets would be banned from importing puppies under six months old, while heavily pregnant dogs would also not be allowed to travel, while ‘mutilated’ animals, such as puppies with cropped ears, would also be stopped.
Measures under the Bill will strengthen the Pet Travel Scheme to ensure that no one is able to fraudulently import animals for sale under the guise of being an owner travelling with their own pets. This includes reducing the number of animals that can travel into Great Britain under this scheme from five per person to five per vehicle, or three per foot or air passenger as well as ensuring that pet movements take place within five days of the owner’s travel.
The Bill will allow for the introduction of further legislation to raise the minimum age for importing a puppy or a kitten from 15 weeks to six months, allowing them to grow up ahead of being taken on potentially long and stressful journeys which can have a lasting impact on their temperament and behaviour.
The Bill will also cover the importation of cats and ferrets into the country.
Hexham MP, Guy Opperman, is supporting the Bill in the House of Commons and said it would bring peace of mind to families looking for a new pet.
Mr Opperman said:
'We are a nation of animal lovers, and this Bill will bring peace of mind to the many constituents who contact me with animal welfare concerns.
'This piece of legislation is so important – not just to stop criminal gangs profiting from the suffering of young animals – but to end the pain loving families feel when their pet is found to be ill due to the way it was raised and brought into the country.
'By ensuring pets can only be brought into this country in the proper, legal, and correct way, this Bill will help bring puppy smuggling to an end.’