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Care Homes and Sheltered Accommodation (Domestic Pets) Bill

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time. It is a great pleasure to be able to introduce my Bill. I begin by thanking its sponsors, who, as you will see, Mr. Deputy Speaker, are a cross-party group. I particularly thank the hon. Member for Broxtowe (Dr. Palmer), who introduced a very similar Bill not long ago. I am grateful to him for all his help and encouragement on this Bill. It is a staggering and depressing fact that about 38,000 healthy animals are put down every year simply because their owners are going into a care home or sheltered housing project and the rules do not allow them to take their pet with them. That is bad enough, but it is also estimated that a further 100,000 pets have to be given up for adoption for the same reason. Many become so distressed because of being abandoned by their owners that they eventually have to be put down. That is totally unacceptable in a civilised country. Many other countries, such as France and the USA, have laws aimed at allowing people to keep their beloved pets. Some enlightened councils in the UK, such as Wandsworth, have shown how positive policies can easily be brought in and have great benefits. It is bad enough for someone to reach the point in their life at which they need to move into a care home or sheltered housing—it is a stressful moment involving a lot of upheaval and often distress.