Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets Bill
The RSPCA supports the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill introduced by Danny Chambers MP.
Background
During the Pandemic, legal commercial imports of dogs rose by nearly 60% to over 70,000 dogs in 2021 and trends in illegal imports could be expected to be similar. Whilst imports have now fallen back as demand has reduced, the pandemic experience, where demand outstripped supply, shows the problems with enforcement and identification of dogs. Therefore highlighting that a simpler system is required.
Under the EU Pet Travel Scheme (PETS), a single individual can import five puppies/kittens non commercially. In theory, this would enable five individuals in a single vehicle to import twenty-five puppies/kittens with minimal border checks. Non-commercial imports have been a significant concern for years as a major route for illegal puppies and kittens to enter Great Britain. Data from the Animal Health & Plant Agency (APHA) shows that between 2015 and 2019 there was an 86% increase in the number of dogs entering the UK via PETS after quarantine border controls were replaced in 2012 and 2015. Figures continue to be high post Covid. This is expected as people return to holidaying abroad; over 288,000 dogs entered the UK in 2023 under PETS.
Age of Animals Imported
There are numerous well documented concerns around the importation of young puppies and kittens including a higher risk of developing and importing diseases, suffering early deaths and development of behaviour issues. There have been reports of puppies as young as four weeks old being imported.
Furthermore, there are wider biosecurity concerns around several zoonotic diseases in imported puppies, including rabies, Echinococcus multilocularisa and a growing concern in Brucella canis. In 2022 the first case of Brucella canis transferring from an imported dog to an owner occurred.
Raising the minimum age for bringing puppies and kittens into the UK from the present 15 weeks to six months will reduce the disease risk, ensure young animals are not taken from their mothers too soon and will allow them to develop further, ahead of travelling on potentially long and stressful journeys which can have a lasting impact on their behaviour. It will also help enforcement officers as identifying a dog at six months is easier than assessing if they are 15 weeks old, the present minimum age.
Mutilations
Mutilation includes acts such as tail docking, ear cropping and declawing. Ear cropping has been illegal for over 20 years in England and Wales. However, the RSPCA reported a 2000% increase in the incidents of ear cropping in dogs reported to it in the last 10 years. We know from our investigations that the present loophole where dogs with cropped ears can be imported, gives anyone illegally ear cropping in the UK a defence to avoid being prosecuted for acts illegal under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Recent rises in celebrities buying dogs with cropped ears has fuelled this market and desire to evade the law. The clear connection between the trade and increases in illegal ear cropping in the UK has fuelled public demand to do something. Since 2023, 30,000 supporters have taken action on the RSPCA campaign to stop ear cropping. In 2023 the RSPCA received a total of 354 calls related to ear cropping in dogs.
Similarly, declawing is an extremely painful and distressing procedure that prevents cats from exhibiting normal scratching behaviour. The PDSA Animal Wellbeing Report 2024 states that “alarmingly, 4% of cat owners who acquired their pet from abroad told us they did so because they wanted them to be declawed, equating to 15,000 cats”.
RSPCA's Position on the Bill
- The RSPCA supports raising the minimum age of animals imported to six months
- We support the provisions within the Bill to ban the import of mutilated animals
- We are generally supportive of the new clause added on pre-testing. However, we would encourage the Government to publish additional guidance or legislation on how this would work in practice and how this will be enforced