Blue Cross welcomes EFRA report ‘Animal welfare in England: domestic pets’ but says more can be done
For many years Blue Cross pet charity has been calling for more stringent regulations and tougher laws to safeguard the welfare of pets in the UK. EFRA’s latest report is a positive step in the right direction, but Government can still do more, says the charity.
Blue Cross, which helps over 40,000 sick, injured and homeless pets each year, welcomes recommendations to tackle internet sales of pets. As a member of the Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG), Blue Cross was particularly pleased to see a recommendation for the PAAG minimum standards to be made mandatory. EFRA has also recommended updating legislation related to the breeding of dogs, something Blue Cross has long argued to better protect the welfare of puppies being bred and sold in the England and Wales.
However, Blue Cross would like to see more on the following recommendations:
- Anyone breeding two litters or more per year should be licensed as a breeder – Blue Cross would like to see a full and robust system of licensing for all pets, not just dogs. The charity also goes further by calling for a system of registration and licensing that ensures everyone breeding from their pet, regardless of the number of litters, is a registered and licenced breeder.
- Government set out a timetable for the secondary legislation that was foreseen ten years ago in the Animal Welfare Act 2006 – Blue Cross welcomes this recommendation; specifically a ban on electric shock collars as well as the regulation of all animal sanctuaries in England, something the charity has been campaigning towards for a number of years.
Regarding the report’s suggested removal of RSPCA’s prosecuting powers, Blue Cross says it is a disappointing distraction to what are some good recommendations in the report and believes that the removal of the RSPCA’s ability to prosecute animal cruelty offences would be hugely detrimental to animal welfare.
Becky Thwaites, Head of Public Affairs at Blue Cross, says: “We see the consequences of irresponsible ownership, selling and breeding of pets every day in our hospitals and rehoming centres.
“While there are many positives to be taken from EFRA’s report, there is still a lot more that needs to be done to ensure the welfare of pets in England is protected and above all, the authorities need sufficient resources to make sure that legislation can be effectively enforced.
“We are currently working on our own report into pet legislation in England, and following this we will be making further recommendations to Government and Local Authorities later this month.”