Written question asked by Paul Farrelly (Labour) on Monday, 22 July 2019, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 25 July 2019 (named day). It was answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative) on Friday, 6 September 2019 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Pets: Animal Welfare

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all dog and cat rehoming centres are adequately regulated.

Answer: As with anyone who owns or keeps animals, rescue and rehoming centres are subject to the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which means they must provide for the animals’ welfare needs and protect them from pain, injury and disease. During the consultation on whether to ban the third party selling of puppies and kittens, carried out last year, we included a question about whether rescue and rehoming centres should be regulated. We need to be confident of the benefits and the impacts of any regulations placed on rescue and rehoming centres, particularly on some of the smaller rescues. We will put forward legislative proposals at the earliest possible point, once we have fully consulted with the sector and understood the impact of any proposals.

Secondary information