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The meeting at Dogs Trust was part of the Pet Welfare Inquiry.

A group of MPs from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee met victims of puppy smuggling at a Dogs Trust facility at the end of May. 

During their visit, Sir Robert Goodwill MP, Barry Gardiner MP, Rosie Duffield MP, Ian Byrne MP, and Dr Neil Hudson MP learned how Dogs Trust are responding to the issue of puppy smuggling. They viewed pregnant bitches seized by port authorities on welfare grounds, bitches that had recently given birth, and puppy victims of the trade.

They were also made aware of some examples of how dog welfare is suffering when animals are illegally brought into the country for sale, such as:

• Dogs crammed into tiny crates unable to either lie down or sit down comfortably
• Dogs with recently cropped ears, wounds still open and bleeding
  
• Heavily pregnant mums, some with evidence of previous caesarean sections
  

The MPs attended as part of the EFRA Select Committee’s Pet Welfare Inquiry which examines the illegal smuggling and trade of puppies and the impact that the cost-of-living is having on pet owners and rehoming organisations such as Dogs Trust.

Paula Boyden, Dogs Trust veterinary director, said: “A day doesn't go by that we are not left staggered by the cruelty shown by the puppy smugglers towards living, breathing animals all in the pursuit of profit. We are hugely grateful for the support of the EFRA Select Committee in highlighting this issue.”

The Kept Animals Bill was set to tackle the issue of puppy smuggling, but it has recently been dropped by the Government. Dogs Trust has expressed its concern for the animals that will now continue to suffer without the protections the Bill could have provided. 

After his visit to Dogs Trust, Dr Neil Hudson asked Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey if the Government was committed to stamping out illegal puppy trading. She confirmed that her department is fully committed to bringing forward the appropriate animal welfare legislation to Parliament.

Measures in the Kept Animals Bill will now be progressed individually and will include cracking down on puppy smuggling, banning the imports of young, heavily pregnant or mutilated dogs, applying strengthened penalties for animal cruelty, and enabling courts to take a firmer approach to cases where pets are illegally imported.

Image (C) Dogs Trust