Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is already an offence in England and Wales to carry out a non-exempted mutilation, including the cropping of a dog’s ears or the docking of their tails. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 creates tougher penalties for anyone convicted of such an offence face, either being sent to prison for up to five years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.

The Government supports the Private Members’ Bill, Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, introduced by Selaine Saxby MP on restricting the importation and non-commercial movement of pets. The Bill contains powers that will enable future regulations for commercial and non-commercial movements of pets into the United Kingdom including prohibiting the import of dogs with cropped ears and docked tails. This will prevent the import of non-exempted mutilated dogs for onward sale in the United Kingdom.

The Government supports the Private Members’ Bill, Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, introduced by Selaine Saxby MP on restricting the importation and non-commercial movement of pets. The Bill contains powers that will enable future regulations for commercial and non-commercial movements of pets into the United Kingdom, including prohibiting the import of heavily pregnant dogs over 42 days gestation and puppies under six months old.

The end of the transition period has opened up new opportunities for managing our own pet travel and commercial importation rules. We are actively listening to the concerns of stakeholders and the Government is considering options to strengthen our efforts to tackle puppy smuggling and prevent the low-welfare importation and movement of these animals, including looking at the movement of heavily pregnant dogs (bitches) entering Great Britain (GB).

These options will take into consideration the results from our latest disease risk assessments for GB, recommendations of stakeholders such as the British Veterinary Association and Dogs Trust, and recent Parliamentary work from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee.

The end of the transition period has opened up new opportunities for managing our own pet travel and commercial importation rules. We are actively listening to the concerns of stakeholders and the Government is considering options to strengthen our efforts to tackle puppy smuggling and prevent the low-welfare importation and movement of these animals, including looking at the minimum age of dogs entering Great Britain (GB).

These options will take into consideration the results from our latest disease risk assessments for GB, recommendations of stakeholders such as the British Veterinary Association and Dogs Trust, and recent Parliamentary work from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee.

We take the issue of the trafficking of puppies seriously. The Animal and Plant Health Agency is working in partnership with Dogs Trust, enforcement bodies and transport carriers to identify non-compliant animals destined for Dover and Folkestone ports. This partnership began in December 2015 and has resulted in over 650 puppies being seized and placed into quarantine. Should APHA checks identify that a dog has been imported, but is not compliant with the import rules, the relevant local authority is informed.

Local authorities are responsible for taking enforcement action when puppies and dogs are discovered to be non-compliant with importation rules. Details of prosecutions in 2016 are reported in the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s ‘Return of expenditure incurred and prosecutions taken under the Animal Health Act 1981 and incidences of disease in imported animals for the year 2016’. In 2016 there were five prosecutions for the illegal importation or landing of dogs under the Rabies (Importation of Dogs, Cats and Other Mammals) Order 1974 and The Trade in Animals and Regulated Products Regulations.

It is also important to recognise the illegal trafficking of dogs is ultimately driven by demand. Defra has published guidance on buying a pet. This guidance contains guidelines to follow when buying a dog such as buying from a reputable supplier and viewing the animal and its documentation, and also highlights the trade in illegal imports. Defra also works closely with the Pet Advertising Advisory Group to drive up standards for online advertisements and make potential pet owners and website operators more aware of rogue dealers.

Dogs must be over 15 weeks of age to be imported into the United Kingdom. Those imported from EU Member States are required to have an Intra Trade Animal Health Certificate (ITAHC) and valid pet passport. These documents confirm their health preparation and, along with a microchip, the animals’ identity. Dogs being imported into the UK must have an examination prior to embarkation from an Official Veterinarian (OV). The OV confirms it meets the import requirements of the UK and issues an ITAHC.

Dogs imported from non-EU countries go through a similar process. The health preparation requirements and certification, however, differ according to the disease status of the country of origin.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) carry out risk-based checks on dogs that have been imported into Great Britain. During these checks, APHA ensures that these dogs meet the import requirements. Local authorities are responsible for taking enforcement action when dogs are not compliant with the import rules. Should APHA checks identify that a dog has been imported, but is not compliant with the import rules, the relevant local authority will be informed.

Dogs and puppies moving into the country with their owners must meet the requirements of the pet travel scheme, meaning that they must be accompanied by a pet passport or certificate confirming that they have undergone adequate health preparation to enable them to enter the UK safely.

The number of defendants that have been proceeded against at magistrates’ courts and thereafter been found guilty and sentenced at all courts for running a breeding establishment for dogs without a licence from a local authority, in England and Wales, from 2011 to 2015, can be viewed in the table below. It is possible that others may have been prosecuted under the Pet Animals Act 1951 for selling dogs without a pet shop licence. Records held for convictions under the 1951 Act do not, however, show what species of animal were involved.

Prosecutions under the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973

The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. It is important to note, however, that this data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services – Ministry of Justice. Data extracted on 9 December 2016

The Government proposes to modernise the laws on Animal Establishments Licensing Schemes including the laws that regulate dog breeding and selling. This proposal was supported by the majority of those that responded to our earlier public consultation.

Defra takes the issue of illegal trafficking of puppies very seriously. The action we have taken to tackle illegal puppy movements covers the key areas in the supply of trafficked puppies. Responsibility for stopping the illegal movement of puppies begins in the country where they are born. Where puppies have been discovered to have been moved into the UK using falsely certified pet passport paperwork my officials have raised the issue with authorities in the relevant countries. We also have effective border controls in place. These require all pet animals travelling into Great Britain on approved routes to have documentary and identity checks at the border. There are stringent penalties available against individual found to be breaking the rules by illegally moving dogs into the country.

Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have and continue to work constructively with other government agencies and animal welfare charities to share intelligence on illegal movements of puppies. APHA has provided Border Force officials with the requirements that dogs and puppies entering the UK must meet. APHA works closely with Border Force colleagues to assist them in reducing the illegal trafficking of puppies.

Finally the illegal trafficking of puppies is ultimately driven by demand. Defra has published guidance for consumers on the responsible purchase of pet animals. It has worked closely with the Pet Advertising Advisory Group to drive up standards for online advertisements making potential pet owners and website operators more aware of rogue dealers and this work will continue.

Defra takes the issue of illegal trafficking of puppies very seriously. The action we have taken to tackle illegal puppy movements covers the key areas in the supply of trafficked puppies. Responsibility for stopping the illegal movement of puppies begins in the country where they are born. Where puppies have been discovered to have been moved into the UK using falsely certified pet passport paperwork my officials have raised the issue with authorities in the relevant countries. We also have effective border controls in place. These require all pet animals travelling into Great Britain on approved routes to have documentary and identity checks at the border. There are stringent penalties available against individual found to be breaking the rules by illegally moving dogs into the country.

Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have and continue to work constructively with other government agencies and animal welfare charities to share intelligence on illegal movements of puppies. APHA has provided Border Force officials with the requirements that dogs and puppies entering the UK must meet. APHA works closely with Border Force colleagues to assist them in reducing the illegal trafficking of puppies.

Finally the illegal trafficking of puppies is ultimately driven by demand. Defra has published guidance for consumers on the responsible purchase of pet animals. It has worked closely with the Pet Advertising Advisory Group to drive up standards for online advertisements making potential pet owners and website operators more aware of rogue dealers and this work will continue.