PDSA unites with other animal charities to urge Government to protect animals

08 May 2021

PDSA is joining forces with 49 other animal welfare charities to urge the Government not to waste a ‘once-in-a-generation opportunity’ to redefine our relationship with animals through a new animal health and welfare strategy.

The group has released a new vision for animal welfare “Act Now For Animals”, setting out the sector’s priorities for creating a society which rebalances the way we rear, live and work with animals. The paper sets out 40 recommendations - including a number of important measures to improve dog and cat welfare, such as tackling pet theft, a ban on ear cropping, better regulation of breeding, and raising the age of imported puppies and kittens. The vision also covers wildlife, exotics and farmed animals.

Crucial to the paper’s recommendations, is the role of the new Animal Sentience Committee. For the Government to fulfil its commitment to recognise animals as sentient beings, the coalition are clear that the committee must have real teeth. It must be independently chaired, made up of the leading animal welfare experts in the country and be able to meaningfully hold Ministers to account.

Chris Packham, who has lent his support to the charities, added: “The last animal welfare strategy was 17 years ago in 2004 and so much has changed since then. The past two decades have seen an attitudinal change in the public and growing scientific understanding that animals have emotions, feelings and needs and deserve a good life. We must act now for animals and ensure the Government does not squander this opportunity to build a world-leading animal welfare strategy, fit for the 21st century and deserving of this nation of animal lovers.”

PDSA Senior Vet Sean Wensley added: “PDSA’s PAW Report findings show that 92% of pet owners agree we are a nation of animal lovers. Now is the time to prioritise animal welfare and use this unique opportunity to demonstrate to the world that we are leaders when it comes to welfare standards. Education is a vital part of this; we are calling for animal welfare to be taught as part of the national curriculum, so our children grow up to show compassion and kindness to animals, by understanding the importance of animal welfare in society.”

Recommendations include

• Legislation to introduce a licensing and inspection framework for Sanctuaries and Rescue Centres.
• Calling for the Government’s task force on pet theft to deliver its conclusions and next steps before Parliament breaks for summer recess 2021.
• Banning the use in England and sale of electronic training, sonic and spray collars in the UK.
• Updating the legislation on livestock worrying, making recording and reporting incidents by the police compulsory, reviewing the powers of the police and sentencing powers of the courts
• Tackling the import of sick puppies and kittens by raising the minimum age for importing them to six months (from 15 weeks), increasing penalties for illegal importation, reintroducing rabies tests and wait periods for dogs and tick and tapeworm treatment for both dogs and cats before entry into the UK.
• Banning the importation of dogs with cropped ears.
• Reviewing existing fireworks legislation and their impact on animal welfare, with a view to introducing further restrictions on their use and sale. Public displays should be licensed by the relevant council.
• Compulsory cat microchipping, and a centralised database for microchipped dogs and cats and to give guidance to councils to ensure that dogs and cats found dead at the roadside are always scanned for a microchip.
• A consultation on regulating cat breeding, to include a licensed breeder inspection regime, limitations on age and litter limits per cat and ending the commercial breeding of extreme breeds of both dogs and cats

The coalition stressed that to be successful, enforcement must be a statutory obligation under any legislation and furthermore the effectiveness of existing and new laws must be more robustly and regularly reviewed to ensure they are achieving their intentions.

A full copy of the coalition’s Green Paper can be read here.