The use of dogs as a second species in toxicological testing remains an important step in the development of safe new medicines, treatments, technologies, and other chemicals. The use of animals in science is highly regulated, and includes a three-tier system of licensing which licenses each establishment, project, and individual involved in performing regulated procedures involving animals.

Currently, there is no independent research commissioned by the Government, that makes a comparative assessment of the effectiveness of using dogs as a second species and new non-animal scientific approaches in toxicological testing. Instead, the Government’s current approach is to actively support and accelerate advances in biomedical science and technologies to reduce reliance on the use of animals in research and importantly, to avoid some of the scientific limitations of animal models of human diseases. This includes stem cell research, the development of cell culture systems that mimic the function of human organs, imaging, and new computer modelling techniques.

UK Research and Innovation remains strongly committed to supporting the development of techniques that replace, reduce, and refine the use of animals in research (the 3Rs), and provides core funding for the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). The NC3Rs works nationally and internationally to drive the uptake of 3Rs technologies and ensure that advances in the 3Rs are reflected in policy, practice, and regulations on animal research.

Significant steps have already been taken to improve and update the laws on dog breeding to crack down on unscrupulous breeders who breed dogs purely for financial greed at the expense of animal welfare.  Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the 2018 Regulations), anyone in the business of breeding and selling dogs and/or who breeds three or more litters in a twelve-month period needs to hold a valid licence issued by their local authority. Licensees must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse or revoke licences.

All dog breeders, including canine fertility clinics who do not meet the threshold for licensing under the 2018 Regulations, are obliged under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the 2006 Act) to protect their animals from suffering and provide for their welfare needs in line with best practice. Carrying on a licensable activity without a licence, or breaching the 2006 Act, may result in imprisonment, a fine or both.

The Department has not made an assessment of the impact of unregulated canine fertility clinics on animal welfare.

The Department has not commissioned research into the number of unregulated canine fertility clinics.

Defra meets regularly with Border Force to discuss various operational issues including the issues around illegal puppy smuggling. Defra's operational department, the Animal and Plant Health Agency, work collaboratively with Border Force and other operational partners at ports, airports and inland, sharing intelligence to enforce the Pet Travel rules, disrupt illegal imports, safeguard the welfare of animals and seize non-compliant animals.

We operate one of the most rigorous and robust pet travel checking regimes in Europe. All non-commercial dogs, cats and ferrets entering Great Britain on approved routes (every route other than Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the Crown Dependencies) under the Pet Travel rules undergo 100% documentary and identity checks by authorised pet checkers.

To enter Great Britain pets must have been implanted with a microchip or have a legible tattoo imprinted prior to 3 July 2011. A pet’s identity is checked by ensuring that the microchip or tattoo details correspond to the details in the pet’s documentation, which includes the date of birth of the pet animal. Carriers can refer suspected non-compliances to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), including cases where any dog appears underage. APHA staff are highly trained to deal with intercepted shipments.

APHA works collaboratively with Border Force and other operational partners at ports, airports and inland, sharing intelligence to enforce the Pet Travel rules, disrupt illegal imports, safeguard the welfare of animals and seize non-compliant animals.

The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill was introduced in Parliament on 8 June 2021 and completed committee on 18 November 2021. The Bill allows us to further protect the welfare of pets by introducing restrictions to crack down on the low welfare movements of pets into Great Britain and includes powers to introduce new restrictions on pet travel and the commercial import of pets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation.

The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill was introduced in Parliament on 8 June and completed committee on the 18 November. The Bill allows us to protect the welfare of pets by introducing restrictions to crack down on the low welfare movements of pets into Great Britain and includes powers to introduce new restrictions on pet travel and the commercial import of pets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation.

In August 2021, the Government launched an eight-week consultation on our proposed restrictions to the commercial and non-commercial movement of pets into Great Britain. This included proposals to ban the commercial and non-commercial movement into Great Britain of puppies under the age of six months. We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation and will publish a summary response in due course. This will allow us to take onboard the views of the public and interested groups on puppy smuggling and low welfare imports in order to shape our future policy.

Carriers work closely with operational colleagues at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and Border Force and are committed to preventing illegal imports of pet animals. Authorised pet checkers are trained by APHA prior to being granted approval and receive annual audits of their checking and processing to ensure they uphold our requirements. APHA regularly reviews its border enforcement work against known travel trends of those that seek to illegally import puppies to the UK, to keep pace with this rapidly evolving criminal activity. Part of this work includes intelligence-led targeting of suspected smugglers, alongside partner agencies, including Border Force. Border Force operates a 24-hour service seven days per week and alerts APHA to suspected non-compliant dogs and puppies. Targeted intelligence-led work often takes place outside of normal working hours as needed. The Government is satisfied with the workings of these current arrangements.

Carriers work closely with operational colleagues at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and Border Force and are committed to preventing illegal imports of pet animals. Authorised pet checkers are trained by the APHA prior to being granted approval and receive annual audits of their checking and processing to ensure they uphold our requirements. The APHA regularly reviews its border enforcement work against known travel trends of those that seek to illegally import puppies to the UK, to keep pace with this rapidly evolving criminal activity. Part of this work includes intelligence-led targeting of suspected smugglers, alongside partner agencies, including Border Force. Border Force operates a 24-hour service seven days per week and alerts the APHA to suspected non-compliant dogs and puppies. Targeted intelligence-led work often takes place outside of normal working hours as needed. The Government is satisfied with the workings of these current arrangements.

We operate one of the most rigorous and robust pet travel checking regimes in Europe. All non-commercial dogs, cats and ferrets entering Great Britain on approved routes under the Pet Travel rules undergo 100% documentary and identity checks by authorised pet checkers.

Authorised pet checkers are trained by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) prior to being granted approval and receive annual audits of their checking and processing to ensure they uphold our requirements. They also receive refresher training and are encouraged to liaise with their APHA contacts to identify non-compliance trends and additional training requirements.

Pet checkers will refuse travel or share intelligence with the APHA who can intercept at the port/border if non-compliance is suspected.

While this department has received representations about the treatment of dogs in China, we have not received any representations about the proposed ban on the human consumption of dog meat in Shenzhen or Zhuhai, China.

We do not hold data on the number and proportion of temporary shelters that are equipped to accommodate the pets of homeless people.

We know that a dog can be an incredibly important companion for those rough sleeping rough. Many night shelters or similar emergency accommodation schemes, funded through the Government’s Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI), have provision for people’s pets – or the flexibility to provide accommodation with this provision. For example, the RSI funded services in Gloucestershire link closely with the charity StreetVet - who provide treatment and ongoing support for homeless people’s pets.

We do not hold data on the number and proportion of temporary shelters that are equipped to accommodate the pets of homeless people.

We know that a dog can be an incredibly important companion for those rough sleeping rough. Many night shelters or similar emergency accommodation schemes, funded through the Government’s Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI), have provision for people’s pets – or the flexibility to provide accommodation with this provision. For example, the RSI funded services in Gloucestershire link closely with the charity StreetVet - who provide treatment and ongoing support for homeless people’s pets.

We do not hold data on the number and proportion of temporary shelters that are equipped to accommodate the pets of homeless people.

We know that a dog can be an incredibly important companion for those rough sleeping rough. Many night shelters or similar emergency accommodation schemes, funded through the Government’s Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI), have provision for people’s pets – or the flexibility to provide accommodation with this provision. For example, the RSI funded services in Gloucestershire link closely with the charity StreetVet - who provide treatment and ongoing support for homeless people’s pets.

It is already illegal to sell dog and cat meat for human consumption and the Government has seen no evidence that dog or cat meat is being sold or consumed in this country.

The EFRA Committee looked at the issue of third party sales in some detail as part of its review on animal welfare and domestic pets. The transcript of the Committee’s evidence and the final report note there were mixed views on the consequences of a ban on third party sales of puppies. The Committee divided on this recommendation. During the EFRA Committee’s review, my department received briefing material from two stakeholders, Blue Cross and the Dogs Trust in which they outlined their concerns about a ban on third-party sales of puppies, including the risk of sales going underground.

To address the concerns about breeding and sale of puppies, we are planning to bring forward regulations that would ensure that anyone in the business of selling pets, whether online or in a pet shop, will need a licence, and they would have to abide by a statutory animal welfare code for dogs. The regulations will tighten up the controls on dog breeding, pet sales and other licensable activities involving animals, applying up to date statutory animal welfare standards and give local authorities new powers on enforcement which will deal with the issue.

Following an extensive public consultation, Defra is developing new regulations on licensed pet sellers that will require them to abide by statutory minimum welfare standards. The new regulations are planned to be published in the New Year.

The published annual statistics of animals used under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) in Great Britain show that in 2016 less than 0.1% of animals used in research in Great Britain are dogs. Dogs are primarily used in procedures for regulatory testing. They are also used in other procedures such as nutritional studies and to better understand naturally occurring diseases and to develop treatments for dogs themselves.

Dogs are a specially protected species under ASPA. The Home Office will only grant a project licence for a programme of work using dogs where the purpose of the programme of work specified in the licence can only be achieved by their use, or where it is not practicable to obtain other suitable animals.

(a) The Home Office does not capture data on the source country of imported dogs born outside the European Union.

(b) The Home Office do not hold data on how dogs were transported to the UK.

(C) The welfare of dogs transported to the UK is the responsibility of the sending country and the sending establishment. Animals are subject to import checks at Border Inspection Points (BIPs). These checks are carried out by staff from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

(d) Most imported dogs are used for regulatory and toxicological research.

Breeds of dogs reported include Beagles, Labrador Retriever, Yorkshire Terrier, Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen and Jack Russell Terrier. These animals were used in nutrition and dentistry studies, the investigation of physiology, natural disease and its prevention.