Dr Luke Evans, the Member of Parliament for Bosworth is calling on the Government to take further steps in the battle to stop puppy profiteering during lockdown.
The MP for Bosworth raised the issue again of what the Government is doing to improve animal welfare and heard that “the Government is committed to the animal welfare agenda currently we are working on proposals to ban live exports for slaughter or fattening, banning primates as pets, and introducing compulsory microchipping for cats, we will increase sentences for animal cruelty, enhance the welfare standards of farmed animals and bring forward proposals relating to animal sentience.”
Questioning Minister Victoria Prentis MP in his follow up question, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Farming, Fishers and Food, Dr Luke asked “Both the demand and price of the puppies in the UK has skyrocketed over lockdown. I declare an interest, I bought two of the same breed several months apart, and saw a doubling of the price. Speaking to reputable dog breeders they are choosing not to breed their dogs because of concern about welfare. So what is the Government doing, to ensure that puppies have welfare, to clamp down on puppy farms, and stop puppy profiteering?”
The Minister responded “Regulations in England require anyone in the business of breeding and selling dogs to be licensed, last year we banned commercial third party sales of puppies and kittens, and also launched our national ‘petfished’ campaign to educate the public on how to source pets responsibly.”
The Petfished campaign, a play on the term ‘catfished’ to denote interacting with a fake persona online, can be accessed at https://getyourpetsafely.campaign.gov.uk/
Dr Luke added “Whilst the Government are seeking to address this problem there is more to do. After going through the process of diligently researching and buying two puppies today was the first time I had heard of the petfished campaign. I very much hope the Government will take steps promote what is otherwise a positive campaign to help potential pet owners arrive at responsible and safe choices when buying their new puppy or kitten.”
In September 2020 research published by Pets4Homes and reported by the BBC (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-54115646) revealed the price of puppies has more than doubled during the Covid-19 pandemic.
