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Alliance calls on EU to tackle illegal pet trade
Dog and cat
Around 60 organisations from 20 member states attended the event.

Organisation proposes Action Plan for better legislation

An event was held by the EU Dog & Cat Alliance earlier this week to urge the EU to take action on the welfare of dogs and cats involved in commercial practices.

Around 60 organisations from 20 member states attended the event, which proposed an EU Action Plan for more robust and better-implemented legislation.

The Alliance called for a compulsory database, compulsory licensing for breeders, tighter controls on the internet trade, and concrete action to prevent zoonoses and improve consumer protection.

Paula Boyden, Dogs Trust veterinary director and spokesperson for the EU Dog & Cat Alliance, explains: “Thousands of puppies and kittens bred for illegal sale in the EU endure horrendous breeding and transport conditions often resulting in severe, chronic health problems.

“The Alliance is calling for an EU Action Plan to tackle this illegal trade, with three main priorities: consumer protection, public and animal health, and animal welfare. All three are imperative to the protection of the internal market."

She added: "Compulsory database would be another vital tool which would facilitate the exchange of basic information such as the age of the animal, microchip number and country of origin to allow traceability. This would help prevent the suffering of these animals and address issues related to consumer protection."

Hosted by MEP Daniel Dalton, the event was based on the findings of the recently published study on the welfare of dogs and cats involved in commercial practices.

The study provides evidence as to why the breeding and trade of dogs and cats is crucial to companion animal welfare in Europe. It also highlights why legislation is paramount to public health, consumer protection and the EU internal market.

"The illegal importation of animals is a significant concern for many of the Member States, with nearly 1 in 5 of all EU households owning a dog and over a quarter a cat," said Mr. Dalton.

"It is clear EU citizens want action - a recent Eurobarometer, published in March, found 74 per cent of EU citizens believe companion animal welfare should be better protected."

He added: “In order to tackle this illegal trade it is imperative we have a comprehensive approach from the European Commission, Member States and the European Parliament to collectively address this issue.” 

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.