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Petition launched to ban import of young puppies
A petition to ban the import of young puppies has received more than 32,000 signatures.
Campaign follows death of puppy six days after being imported from Russia. 

A petition has been launched to ban the import of young puppies for sale in the UK.

The petition comes in the wake of the death of Love Island stars Molly Mae Hague and Tommy Fury’s puppy ‘Mr Chai’, who passed away just six days after being delivered from Russia.

The petition states: 'Plenty of dogs from UK breeders & rescues need homes. Transporting young pups long distances is often stressful, before being sold for ridiculous prices to unsuspecting dog-lovers. Government must adjust current laws, ban this unethical activity on welfare grounds & protect these poor animals ASAP.

'The recent tragic case of a puppy dying just six days after being delivered from Russia has exposed a completely legal but immoral route to market for pups bred hundreds of miles away & sold away from their mums. Who’s actually inspecting these breeders & transportation conditions? Selling imported pups like this is cruel & appears to contradict the Government’s own advice to always physically “see puppies interacting with their mothers in their place of birth” as with Lucy’s Law in England.'

The petition has received the backing of a host of celebrities including comedienne Ricky Gervais and Dragon's Den star Deborah Meaden. Lucy's Law campaigner Marc Abraham and TV vet Scott Miller have also lent their support to the campaign.

Scott wrote on Twitter: 'Unscrupulous UK breeders and third-party sellers of foreign puppies are taking advantage of COVID-19 by hiking up prices and selling sick and incredibly young puppies to unsuspecting owners. The lack of care for the welfare of these puppies is appalling.'

At the time of writing, the petition has received more than 32,000 signatures. If the petition receives more than 100,000 signatures it will be considered for debate in parliament.

To sign the petition, click here.

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.