MPs urge crackdown on poor breeding practices
There are now more than 400 canine fertility clinics in the UK.
A new report by MPs has called on the government to crack down on low welfare puppy and kitten breeding practices.
The report, by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee, recommends changes to the law and more support for those enforcing the rules.
It follows a recent growth in the number of fertility clinics that has led to serious concerns about the welfare and health of the animals involved. The number of canine fertility clinics has risen from 37 in 2020 to more than 400 currently and it is estimated that over half of the puppies entering the UK market now come from unlicensed breeders.
In response, the MPs want to see the list of licensed breeders made public and changes to licensing regulations to include breeders of two or more litters a year. The report also calls for cat breeding to be brought under the same legislative safeguards as dog breeding.
The committee has also urged the government to reform the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 in order to increase the deterrent for those involved in fertility clinics who perform veterinary surgery illegally. The current legislation allows for a £100 fine, an amount the MPs describe as ‘derisory’.
As well as these changes to the law, the commitee wants to see more support given to those enforcing the legislation, noting that local authorities are often under resourced.
The report also calls for more to be done to tackle practices such as ear cropping, declawing, and cosmetic tail docking.
Chair of the EFRA Committee, Sir Robert Goodwill, said: “We are concerned about the huge rise in the number of canine fertility clinics and the lack of regulatory oversight of these clinics, which may employ unqualified staff to perform veterinary procedures, and which may encourage the breeding of dogs with extreme features and dogs bred for aggressive traits.
“We also urge the government to address the funding and resource needs of local authorities to enforce regulations, to ensure that unscrupulous actors do not become emboldened to think they can act with impunity.”
The report has been welcomed by the RSPCA. David Bowles, the charity’s head of public affairs, said: “In its response to this report, the UK government has an opportunity to make a real difference to animals, prevent suffering, and make it easier for the public to buy animals who have had happy and healthy starts to life.
“Better licensing of breeding, tighter regulations around fertility clinics and tougher enforcement around the importation of cats and dogs cannot come soon enough if we’re going to effectively crackdown on the exploitation of animals for commercial gain.”
The government aims to respond to published select committee reports within two months and has said that it will carefully consider the recommendations.
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