Bringing Battersea to the new Parliament
Jess Brown-Fuller MP with furry ambassador Vera
Following the success of our popular “Purr Minister competition” to find Parliament’s top cat, Battersea took our four key priorities for animal welfare, and three of our beloved canine residents, to the heart of Westminster at a reception kindly sponsored by our local MP, Marsha de Cordova.
Being permitted to bring dogs onto the parliamentary estate for just the second time, our furry ambassadors helped bring to life several of the issues that we think MPs and Peers must prioritise over the next five years. This includes tackling unscrupulous breeders, clamping down on puppy and kitten smuggling, improving safety around dogs, and increasing access to pet-friendly homes.
Puppy and kitten smuggling
The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) was created to make it easy for owners to take their family pets on holiday with them. However, for years it has been exploited by illegal traders who import thousands of dogs and cats for sale, making massive profits at the expense of animal welfare. Many of these animals are in poor health and endure days of transport in terrible conditions.
Danny Chambers, the veterinarian and new Liberal Democrat MP for Winchester, introduced the Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets Bill in this parliamentary session. This is welcome legislation that could do much to tackle puppy and kitten smuggling, as well as to stop the import of animals with cruel and unnecessary mutilations such as ear-cropped dogs, and we’re calling for MPs to work with us to help shape and progress the bill.
Unscrupulous breeding
Battersea has seen an increasing number of puppies and kittens arriving at our centres and a rise in numbers being born onsite. The number of animals with exaggerated characteristics arriving at Battersea centres also continues to rise year on year – our vets carried out 78 complex Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome surgeries last year to widen the airways of flat-faced dog breeds. A continued driving demand for ‘cute’ pets with abnormal features has continued to see aesthetics being chosen over welfare considerations.
Marsha de Cordova MP, sponsor of the event
An improved and thorough licensing and registration system is needed to tackle unscrupulous dog and cat breeders that put profit above welfare. At the event, we spoke to MPs about Bartholomew, the Persian cat who required extensive care from Battersea’s clinic team due to extreme breeding – an example that is sadly far from unique. We’ll continue to push the government to introduce cat breeding regulations, strengthen dog breeding laws, and address enforcement to better protect animal welfare.
Pets and housing
Housing is the second most common reason that cats and dogs are relinquished to Battersea, usually under heart-breaking circumstances with people forced to choose between their pet and a place to live. Battersea research has found that 76 per cent of private tenants are directly affected by landlord pet policies. Yet more people are renting their homes and are just as likely as anyone to want to share in the great mental, physical and social benefits of pet ownership.
We talked to parliamentarians about Battersea’s Pet Friendly Properties campaign and how they can support us to help improve the Renters’ Rights Bill to ensure that more tenants and landlords can be supported to increase the number of available pet-friendly homes.
Safety around dogs
Peter Laurie, CEO of Battersea
There’s an urgent need to improve safety around dogs. This should include reform of the Dangerous Dogs Act as part of a wider review of dog control and protecting the public from dog attacks. The breed-specific element of the legislation prohibits ownership of the Dogo Argentino, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Fila Brasileiro and the American XL Bully type. Originally introduced to protect the public, evidence suggests that this legislation has not prevented a rise in dog attacks as they have risen consistently over many years. This approach is too simplistic and does not promote safer dog ownership and interaction. Focusing on how a dog looks rather than how it behaves does not protect the public and is detrimental to animal welfare. We’re calling for a review of how the issue is approached and managed, and one that could ultimately help better protect and promote public safety.
What’s next?
We were delighted that over 90 MPs and Peers joined us, many of whom were keen to share stories of their own beloved dogs and cats, no doubt in part inspired by the opportunity to meet with the three Battersea dogs – Lola, Vera and Olive – who were stars of the show. Battersea’s Chief Executive Peter Laurie spoke alongside Marsha de Cordova, EFRA Committee Chair Alistair Carmichael, and Shadow DEFRA Secretary Victoria Atkins.
Just three days after our event, Parliament passed the Danny Chambers-led bill without division, and the legislation secured government backing. This is extremely welcome, and we hope an early indicator that this Parliament really will prioritise passing legislation and regulation to improve companion animal welfare across the UK.
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