Remove VAT on veterinary fees for pets

Petition text:

Following reports of some pet owners not being able to afford vet fees, we believe it is time for the Government to remove VAT from veterinary fees for pets so that it is no longer charged on animal health care which is essential for their health.

We believe pets are not a luxury but loved and valued companions and contribute to emotional and mental wellbeing for so many including the elderly. Some animal rescue centres may be full and unable to help, resulting in healthy animals being put down or left to suffer without basic care. 

We believe that if VAT is no longer charged on all veterinary fees, it could go a long way to rectifying this situation.

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Review and centrally record pet euthanasia - UK Gov petition

Petition text:

With some reports suggesting a rise in euthanasia rates, we think research must be undertaken by government and relevant bodies to centrally record how many dogs and cats are being euthanised: where, why, age, breed, gender and microchip status. All veterinarians must be required to report this data

A potential upcoming loss of rescue spaces could place a greater burden of abandonment on local authorities. Any new restrictions on rehoming from UK rescues and restricted rescuing from abroad could lead to more demand for purchased pups and encourage back street breeding with no Rescue Back Up.

We want Government to centralise data as currently there is no obligation to provide accurate euthanasia numbers outside of local authorities. We believe transparency is needed from all stakeholders

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Pets (Microchips) Bill

This refers to a legal requirement for vets to scan for microchips before euthanising pets, it would apply to England and Wales, the 2nd reading is due to be held on 31st October 2025

Currently text of the Bill includes:

The Secretary of State must, by regulations, make provision requiring veterinary surgeons in England to take the steps in subsection (2) before euthanising a healthy or treatable pet which has no history or evidence of negative behavioural problems. 

Those steps are— 

(a) to scan the pet for a microchip on first presentation and before any final decision is made on its euthanasia;

(b) if the veterinary surgeon considers it safe to do so, to contact the registered owner and any back-up rescuer of the pet in accordance with information held on the database associated with any such microchip. 

The steps in subsection (2) must be carried out in accordance with any relevant Code of Conduct or guidance issued by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

Full text and updates can be found online here - https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3824

Dog on dog attacks Bill 2024-2026 update

 A Bill to require a person in charge of a dog to take all reasonable steps to ensure that that dog does not fatally injure another dog; and for connected purposes.

The first reading took place on 21st October last year, the second reading is due to take place on 29th May 2026.

This is a Private Members' Bill and was presented to Parliament on Monday 21 October 2024.

The current text can be read here:

https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3798/publications

The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (Amendment) Bill 2024 - 2026

 This is a Private Members Bill sponsored by Sir Christopher Chope MP (Conversative)

The official title text is as follows:

A Bill to provide that, before making any order to designate a type of dog for the purposes of section 1 or 2 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, the Secretary of State must carry out a public consultation and publish a comparative review of data showing the incidences of fatalities resulting from bites of dogs of that type in the last three years.

The 1^st reading in the House of Commons took place on the 21^st October 2024 and the second reading is set for the 27^th March 2026.

The Bill is asking that in future before making any order to designate a type of dog for the purposes of  section 1 or 2 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (before ‘banning’ another breed or type of dog - breed specific legislation) the Secretary of State must carry out a public consultation and publish a comparative review of data showing the incidences of fatalities resulting from bites of dogs of that type in the last three years.

Progress of the Bill can be followed online here - https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3854

The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill

The Bill has moved through the House of Commons and is due a second reading in the House of Lords on 5^th September 2025

Full details of the Bill can be found here - https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3821

Explanatory Notes have been provided by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA):

The Bill addresses the serious issue of livestock worrying in England and Wales.

The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 deals with dogs that chase or attack livestock in England, Wales, and Scotland (known as livestock worrying).

The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill includes provisions to deliver a number of amendments to the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 ("the 1953 Act") to improve enforcement in response to incidents of livestock worrying by dogs. 

The Bill does so by extending the powers available to the police to obtain evidence of an offence under section 1 of the 1953 Act. 

The Bill extends the offence in section 1 of the 1953 Act to include roads and paths and expands the scope of livestock currently afforded protection to include camelids. 

It also increases the maximum penalty in relation to the offence in section 1 of the 1953 Act from a fine of £1,000 to an unlimited fine.

YouGov UK Poll published

 

Recent Poll results published:

The YouGov Survey Results Sample Size: 2243 Adults in GB 

Fieldwork: 28th - 29th April 2025 - the full results are online here -https://yougov.co.uk/society/articles/52664-most-britons-are-in-favour-of-dog-licences

85% of Britons think there should be some form of dog licence, with 54% believing it should be a requirement for owning any breed.

54% believe you should require a licence to own a dog of any breed as a pet, alongside a further 31% who believe that you should require a licence to own dogs belonging to certain breeds as a pet.

8% of the public think you should not require a licence to own a dog of any breed as a pet.

Among dog owners, 45% thought there should be a blanket dog licence, with 38% supporting one for certain breeds.