Today, I met with Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in London to discuss the fantastic work they are doing for the animals and their campaigns to give these animals a better life.
Battersea are an organisation who never turn a dog or cat away in need of help. In 2023 alone, they helped over 2,500 dogs and over 2,400 cats across their three centres in the UK.
They aim to help those in need to find a forever home, as well as addressing welfare issues they encounter on behalf of every dog and cat within and out of their care.
They currently have 4 campaigns, which aim to increase the overall life lived of each dog and cat both in the centres and in the UK.
Pet friendly properties
The second most common reason why cats and dogs are sent to Battersea is housing.
1 in 10 animals in their care are there because of this problem; tenants have been forced to choose between their pet and a place to live due to restrictive pet policies.
Battersea research has found that a heart-breaking 76% of private tenants are affected by restrictive pet policies, causing great stress for all involved.
Amazingly, Battersea work with tenants, landlords and the Government through their Pet Friendly Properties campaign - this helps to implement solutions to the challenge tenants face.
The Renters' Rights Bill welcomes changes to support more tenants and is something I will continue to support.
Puppy and kitten smuggling
The current Pet Travel Scheme (PETS), is a concern for Battersea - and for me.
It is being used by illegal traders to bypass the restrictive requirements of commercial importation into the UK.
Sadly, many animals brought illegally into this country are unvaccinated, transported in unhealthy conditions for days, and do not have the necessary veterinary checks meaning they pose serious welfare concerns and biosecurity risks to the UK.
These imports also allow for illegal mutilations, such as ear cropping and tail docking, and mean people can claim these mutilations happened overseas rather than in the UK.
Danny Chambers, MP for Winchester, introduced a Private Member's Bill in October last year which aimed to close the loopholes around dog and cat imports. This will make it harder to smuggle dogs and cats into the country under PETS, as well as banning the illegal importation of cats and dogs with illegal mutations.
It was fantastic to see the Bill get Government support, and I will continue to urge the Government to make time to bring it into the law as soon as possible.
Unscrupulous breeding
I am fighting for better traceability of breeders, puppies, and kittens.
Less than 10% of puppies in England come from licensed breeders.
No legislation currently exists which regulates cat breeding in England or Wales. Many puppies and kittens therefore are bred with no oversight of their welfare, whilst the enforcement of licensing requirements remain patchy and often ineffective.
Battersea, and myself, are calling for the regulation of cat breeding, the strengthening of dog breeding regulations, the implementation of a registration system for breeding outside the regulatory threshold, and action to tackle enforcement inconsistencies.
Safety around dogs
The Dangerous Dogs Act (1991) was introduced to protect the public but, tragically, the number of dog attacks have continued to rise.
Between 2013 and 2019, 22 people were killed as a result of a dog attack in England and Wales; in 2022, there were a reported 10 fatal attacks in England and Wales.
The Act simply does not work - the Government need to take a full review of how information is recorded around dog attacks, and how the law works.
Dogs will continue to be euthanised on their appearance, rather than their behaviour, if a preventative, breed-natural approach is designed to tackle all dangerous dog incidents.
For more information on Battersea, and their campaigns, visit their website here.
