Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border and the only Veterinary Surgeon in the House of Commons, hosted an important parliamentary roundtable with the Dogs Trust charity , aimed at finding solutions to the abhorrent puppy smuggling trade, that continues to boom.
Animal welfare experts, charity leaders, trading standards enforcers, prominent veterinarians and parliamentarians gathered to discuss the pressing challenges surrounding, and potential solutions for puppy smuggling.
While the illegal puppy trade continues to thrive, with so-called designer breeds fetching increasingly large sums, prosecution rates remain low. This has emboldened unscrupulous criminal traders to prey upon unsuspecting British consumers. From heavily pregnant dogs and underage puppies crossing the border to animals with infectious diseases and mutilations; attendees heard about unscrupulous practices which took no account of the animals’ welfare.
Puppy smuggling is a highly organised criminal enterprise in the UK and attendees learned about how smugglers keep finding new and more sophisticated ways to confound authorities. From fraudulent pet passports being manufactured for unlisted third country puppies to smugglers exploiting gaps in border checks.
The roundtable heard some particularly harrowing case studies of dogs being kept in despicable conditions by traders for inhumane periods of time as they were transported from central and eastern Europe.
Dr Hudson is pushing for the Government’s Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill to return to Parliament urgently, thus providing authorities more power to stamp out the trade.
Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border, said:
“I thank all attendees for taking the time to discuss the pressing issue of puppy smuggling, that has seen an abhorrent rise in criminal activity following the pandemic. Working collaboratively with public, private and third sector organisations is imperative to produce workable solutions to stamp out this barbaric practice. This is not the end of my campaigning on this issue, and I will work hard to improve animal health and welfare across the board.
“I am pushing for the Government’s Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill to return to parliament as a matter of urgency. Among other areas like pet theft, this vital legislation would grant authorities new power to crack down on pet smuggling, the importation of dogs with cropped ears and will bolster animal health and welfare.”
At Dr Hudson’s instigation, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, on which the veterinary MP sits, has initiated an official Inquiry into Pet Welfare and Abuse. This will shine a light on abhorrent pet practices that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Alongside puppy smuggling, MPs will probe issues such as ear cropping in dogs and de-clawing in cats, unregulated ‘canine fertility clinics’ and so-called ‘puppy mills’. This will inform a report to guide Government policy and improve animal welfare outcomes across the country.
Dr Hudson has worked closely with Dogs Trust for some time now and thoroughly supports their efforts to end the puppy smuggling trade for good. This includes the group’s Puppy Pilot Scheme which aids the interception of illegally imported puppies by the Animal and Plant Health Agency. This has saved hundreds of dogs from being put down.
