Animal Welfare - Kept Animals Bill

The Bill's progress can be followed here - www.bills.parliament.uk/bills/2880

Launched by Government but not yet progressed through all stages needed to be passed as law.

The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill will raise animal welfare standards in five key areas:

1) Puppy smuggling: The Government will introduce new powers to tackle the unethical trade of puppy smuggling by reducing the number of pets (dogs, cats and ferrets) that can travel under pet travel rules. It will also include powers for the Government to bring in further restrictions on the movement of pets on welfare grounds, for example by increasing the minimum age of imported puppies and restricting the import of pregnant dogs and dogs with mutilations such as cropped ears and tails.

2) Live exports: Live animals can endure excessively long journeys during export, causing distress and injury. EU rules prevented any changes to these journeys, but the UK Government is now free to pursue plans which would see a ban on the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening. We will become the first European country to end this practice.

3)Banning keeping primates as pets: Primates are highly intelligent animals with complex needs and require specialist care. The Government will deliver on its manifesto commitment to introduce a ban on keeping them as pets, ensuring that all primates being kept privately in England are being kept at zoo-level standards and that those unable to meet the standards are phased out.

4) Livestock worrying: The Bill will give new powers to the police to provide greater protection to livestock from dangerous and out of control dogs. The Bill will also extend this protection to other species such as llamas, ostriches and game birds.

5) Zoos: The Zoo Licensing Act will be amended to improve zoo regulations and ensure that zoos are doing more to contribute to conservation.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said:

The Kept Animals Bill will bring in some of the world’s highest and strongest protections for pets, livestock and kept wild animals.

As an independent nation outside the EU we are now able to go further than ever on animal welfare by banning the export of live animal exports for slaughter and fattening, prohibiting keeping primates as pets and bringing in new powers to tackle puppy smuggling.

This builds on the launch of our Action Plan for Animal Welfare and Animal Sentience Bill last month as part of our work to build on our status as a world leader on animal welfare.

Renting With Pets - No Blanket Ban:

 The UK Government has this month published a White Paper (not yet law) which plans to redress the balance between landlords and tenants in the private sector; one of the changes included is that tenants will be given the right to request a pet in their house, which the landlord must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse. T

The new measures will form part of the 'Renters Reform Bill' which is due to be introduced into Parliament later this year (2022).

Further info can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-fairer-private-rented-sector/a-fairer-private-rented-sector

Petitions Committee-Discussion in Parliament

 On Monday 6 June, MPs will debate a petition relating to breed specific legislation.

You can watch the debate online (from 4.30pm, Monday 6 June)

There will also be a debate transcript available shortly after the conclusion of the debate.

Follow the Petitions Committee on Twitter and join the discussion using #DogSafetyDebate

Christina Rees MP, a member of the Petitions Committee, has been asked by the Committee to open the debate. MPs from all parties can take part, and the Government will send a minister to respond.

Sign the #petition here -

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/603988

Repeal Breed Specific Legislation

The petition, which has more than 114,000 signatures, states: “The Government should repeal breed specific provisions in dangerous dogs legislation. We believe these provisions are a flawed approach to public safety and an ethical failing with regards to animal welfare.”

In response to the petition, provided on 13 January 2022, the Government said: “Simply repealing the breed specific provisions in dangerous dogs legislation with no other changes would increase the risks to public safety, which the Government is unwilling to do.”

The Vet Times UK-Vet urges MP's to join debate:

 A vet is making a last ditch appeal for her professional colleagues to lobby their MPs ahead of a parliamentary debate on the Dangerous Dogs Act.

The debate will take place on 6 June after a petition calling for the Government to repeal breed specific provisions in dangerous dogs legislation reached more than 100,000 signatures.

Pit bull

Anita Mehdi from Middlesbrough started the petition to end breed specific legislation (BSL) after her Staffordshire bull terrier, Lola, was seized by the police for fitting the BSL measurements.

Police were initially called because someone reported Lola as a pit bull and, despite officers confirming she was an “obedient and gentle dog”, Lola now has to wear a muzzle in public.

Deed not breed

The BVA, Blue Cross, Dogs Trust and RSPCA all support changes to BSL in favour of a “deed not breed” approach, but vet Helen O’Hare believes the latest bid to change the law will be more effective if backed by veterinary professionals across the UK.

Earlier this week, Ms O’Hare contacted Vet Times to publicise the debate, and call on vets and vet nurses to contact their MPs and encourage them to attend the session.

‘Draconian law’

Ms O’Hare said: “A petition of more than 100,000 signatures to repeal this unjust and draconian law has resulted in an upcoming debate in parliament on Monday, 6 June.

“If you care about animal welfare and would like to fight injustice, please contact your local MP as soon as possible, educate them, and ask them to attend this debate.”

Source: News | Vet Times

Parliament to discuss Petition - EndBSL UK

A current UK Government Petition has been scheduled for debate in Parliament at 4.30pm on the 6th June, please contact your own Member of Parliament and ask them to attend the discussion, current dog law and breed specific legislation is not fit for purpose and in need of urgent repeal.

Your own MP represents you and can be contacted in a number of ways including online via:

www.writetothem.com

and

www.theyworkforyou.com

MP Christina Rees will open the debate on 6th June

The UK Gov petition is still open for signatures and can be singed here:

Repeal Breed Specific Legislation: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/603988

Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act passes - New Legislation

 The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill has completed its journey through both Houses of Parliament and has now received Royal Assent - becoming a new law.

The new Act is to make provision for an Animal Sentience Committee with functions relating to the effect of government policy on the welfare of animals as sentient beings.

Further details can be found here - Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 publications - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament

The Introduction of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill as part of the Government's Action Plan for Animal Welfare can be found here: Animals to be formally recognised as sentient beings in domestic law - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

• Government introduces Bill to formally recognise animals as sentient beings
• Animal Sentience Committee will put animal sentience at heart of government policy
• Bill introduced as part of government’s first of a kind Action Plan for Animal Welfare

Vertebrate animals will be recognised as sentient beings for the first time in UK law thanks to the introduction of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill, introduced in Parliament today.

The legislation will also ensure that animal sentience is taken into account when developing policy across Government through the creation of a Animal Sentience Committee which will be made up of animal experts from within the field.

By enshrining sentience in domestic law in this way, any new legislation will have to take into account the fact that animals can experience feelings such as pain or joy. The Bill will underpin the Government’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare, which launched yesterday and sets out the government’s plans to improve standards and eradicate cruel practices for animals both domestically and internationally.

The Bill’s introduction, fulfilling a key Manifesto commitment, will further the UK’s position as a world-leader on animal welfare. Now that we have left the EU we have the opportunity to remake laws and go further to promote animal welfare by making sure that all Government departments properly consider animal sentience when designing policy, covering all vertebrate animals from farm to forest.

The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill will:

• formally recognise animals as sentient beings in domestic law
• establish an Animal Sentience Committee made up of experts to ensure cross departmental government policy considers animal sentience
• ensure Government Ministers update parliament on recommendations made by the Animal Sentience Committee

Launching the Bill, Animal Welfare minister Lord Goldsmith said:

The UK has always led the way on animal welfare and now that we’ve left the EU we are free to drive for the highest standards of animal welfare anywhere in the world.

Formally recognising in law that animals are sentient and experience feelings in the same way humans do is just the first step in our flagship Action Plan for Animal Welfare which will further transform the lives of animals in this country and strengthen our position as a global leader.

Claire Bass, Executive Director of Humane Society International/UK said:

45 of the UK’s most respected animal protection organisations have been united in calling for this Bill, which recognises that animals have the ability to experience feelings, including pain, joy and fear, and that their emotions and welfare deserve consideration and protection when laws are made.

The formation of an Animal Sentience Committee is a very welcome step; it must though be designed with the right expertise, independence, resourcing and access to information to enable it to provide robust and constructive scrutiny. We hope that it will support government’s delivery of a progressive welfare strategy built on respect for the needs of sentient animals, who enrich and improve our lives in so many ways.

James West, Senior Policy Manager, Compassion in World Farming, said:

Compassion in World Farming warmly welcome today’s publication of legislation that recognises animals as sentient beings – capable of experiencing joy, pain and suffering. We applaud this initiative that will apply to policies being developed across all UK Government departments.

We look forward to the newly established Committee being effective in ensuring that Ministers pay all due regard to animal sentience when formulating and implementing policy. As a nation of animal lovers, we should not expect anything less than granting sentient beings the legal recognition they unequivocally deserve.

The UK has a long history of improving the lives of animals, being the first country in the world to pass legislation to protect animals in 1822 with the Cruel Treatment of Cattle Act and later the landmark Protection of Animals Act in 1911.

The Government has continued to uphold this tradition of high welfare standards over the years through many reforms, ranging from banning the use of battery cages for laying hens and introducing compulsory CCTV in slaughter houses and most recently raising the maximum sentence for animal cruelty from six months to five years.

Defra launch new consultation - dog microchipping in England

 The new survey launched this month can be completed online:

Consultation on cat and dog microchipping legislation in England 

Open until 17th May 2022, this consultation is seeking views on proposals for changes to provisions in the Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations 2015,  from DEFRA as below:

Overview:

We are seeking your views on potential changes to microchipping legislation. This covers both the new mandatory cat microchipping requirements, as well as improvements to the current dog microchipping system so they work as effectively possible in reuniting pets with their owners. 

Why your views matter:

We are seeking your views proposed solutions which will help us to understand the impacts of the suggested regulatory changes.

These proposed changes aim to improve the operation of the microchipping database system, making it easier to identify pet keepers and to reunite pets with their keepers. This will mean reduced costs to local authorities, vets and animal shelters, as well benefiting animal welfare and deterring pet theft.