Puppy trade calls rise by more than 30 per cent
Today MPs will discuss the puppy trade during a 10-minute rule bill in Parliament.
Calls to the RSPCA about the puppy trade have risen by 33 per cent and the charity is warning that the chance of rabies returning to the UK could go up 60-fold.
A total of 2,229 calls about puppy farms and trafficking were received by the RSPCA in 2013, compared to 1,678 in 2012, according to new figures released by the charity.
Today, a 10-minute rule motion is set to take place in the House of Commons, where Jim Fitzpatrick will call for fixed penalty notices for people illegally importing dogs.
David Bowles, RSPCA's head of public affairs, said: "Too many people importing puppies from eastern Europe are more concerned about their profit than the health risks their actions carry…
"We hope the discussion in Parliament during the 10-minute rule bill will show the minister the extent of concerns among politicians and that he will use his power to make positive change and address the increased risk of rabies returning to our shores."
Earlier this year, a BBC Breakfast programme voiced concerns over the rising number of pets being illegally imported into the UK with forged passports.
According to AHVLA figures, the number of dogs stopped when entering the country due to non-compliance with the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) has tripled since 2011.
Concerns over illegally imported pets and disease began to rise in 2012, when PETS was relaxed to allow dogs to enter the UK just 21 days after being vaccinated, rather than six months.
Since then, a handful of rabies cases have fuelled these fears, including a dog euthanised in Toledo, central Spain and a kitten found to be carrying the disease in France last year.
Defra has said that the chance of a rabies-infected dog entering the UK remains very low, and the risk of the disease passing from pet to owner is lower still.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
