Pets (Microchips) Bill Presented:

 James Daly Conservative MP for Bury North presented his Private Members Bill to Parliament on 12th July and writes: 

I presented my Pets (Microchips) Bill to the House. This begins the process of moving towards it becoming law. This is a Bill that is very close to my heart as an animal lover and it brings together the campaigns of Tuk's Law and Gizmo's Law.

Tuks Law and Gizmo's Law are both campaigns that aim to help pets and their owners - potentially saving animals from unnecessary euthanasia and reconnecting cat owners with their pets if they are found deceased by local authorities.

Gizmo's Law

Gizmo's Legacy is a campaign that was set up, right here in Bury North, to ensure that Local Authorities are compelled to scan the microchips of deceased cats that are found on a road or a pavement or that are otherwise reported to the LA. This could be following a road traffic accident or just a cat that has been found. This campaign is so important because our pets are an extension of our family and may families across the UK find their cats have gone missing, many who have been involved in an accident and, unlike dogs, there is no requirement for these to be reported to the LA - nor is there a requirement for Local Authorities to scan a microchip to identify the owner.

My Private Members' Bill will ensure that Local Authorities do scan cats and search the database associated with the microchip to find ownership details to try and reunify the owners with their pet.

Tuk's Law

Tuk was a 16-month-old rescue who was euthanised on 22 December 2017. He was not scanned prior to euthanasia and his Rescue Back Ups were not contacted/notified of his death. Tuk was euthanised whilst having full rescue back up, dually registered contact details on his microchip and was presented by an individual who was not his registered keeper.

It is unconscionable that anyone could take any animal to a vet and ask that they be put down, without the vet checking to see whether the person presenting the animal is the owner, nor contacting the registered keeper of Rescue Back Up to advise them of this. Tuk's Law asked that vets are compelled to scan microchips and contact the registered keeper and rescue backups when a healthy and treatable animal is presented to them for euthanasia.

My Private Members' Bill will ensure that Vets scan microchips and make contact with registered keepers and Rescue Back Ups of healthy and treatable animals presented to them for euthanasia. It will also require Government-endorsed pet microchip databases regarding pets in England to indicate when a pet has both a registered owner and a back-up rescuer.

BSL UK Gov Petition Update

MPs on the Commons Petitions Committee have expressed disappointment about the Government's response, and called for the Government to reconsider its decision not to review breed specific legislation.

Link to the full response here 

In June MPs on the Petitions Committee wrote to Jo Churchill MP, a then Minister in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, expressing concern about the impact of breed-specific legislation – which bans the ownership of certain dog breeds – and the cost these provisions in the law had for some dogs.

The MPs put a number of questions to the department – including asking the Government if they’ll gather new evidence to help decide if reform is needed on the legislation, and how the Government will ensure welfare needs of all dogs held in kennels under the Dangerous Dogs Act are met.
The Committee also sought confirmation from the Government about what they were doing to protect dogs seized under the Dangerous Dogs Act who are subsequently found by a court to pose no danger to the public. The Committee asked if the Government would consider allowing the rehoming of such dogs by responsible organisations, and the removal of strict conditions that apply to all dogs of a banned breed that are allowed to return home.

Christina Rees MP, the member of the Petitions Committee who opened the most recent debate on breed specific legislation, said:
"Under current laws some breeds of dog can be kept in kennels for months pending lengthy court hearings, and often can’t be rehomed even when they pose no danger to the public. Hundreds of dogs are needlessly destroyed every year because of this cruel legislation.
"Public safety is paramount, but the law must be proportionate and not contribute to the unnecessary suffering of innocent animals.
"While I welcome the Government’s work with police forces to increase uptake of the interim exemption scheme - which allows dogs to be temporarily released and returned to their owners pending court hearings - much more needs to be done to protect the welfare of these dogs.
"I know petitioners and campaigners alike who have called for reform of breed specific legislation will be as disappointed as I am by the Government’s latest ‘copy and paste’ response on this issue."

Catherine McKinnell MP, Chair of the Petitions Committee, said:
"It is hugely disappointing that the Government appears to be completely unwilling to review breed specific provisions in the Dangerous Dogs Act.
"Since 2020, petitions calling for a change in the law to protect these innocent animals have received more than 350,000 signatures, and yet the Government has refused time and again to review legislation on banned breeds, or even gather new evidence on the risks of banned breeds and effectiveness of breed specific legislation.
"It is particularly disappointing the Minister has refused to even meet the person who started the most recent petition on this subject. The Government must recognise the significant public concern about these laws, and reconsider its decision not to review this."

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