Report finds local authorities are struggling to enforce welfare standards
Celebrity animal lovers and TV vets have signed an open letter calling for new laws to improve pet welfare.
Published in The Times on Wednesday (30 November) the letter is signed by Ben Fogle, Joanna Lumley, Dr Marc Evans and BVA president Gudrun Ravetz.
It follows the publication of a new report by Blue Cross, which highlights welfare concerns in pet shops and breeding establishments across the UK.
The report found that a lack of resources and training means local authorities are struggling to enforce standards and recognise issues. Meanwhile, hundreds of online sellers are slipping through the net entirely.
“As Blue Cross, we regularly see seriously ill pets and their devastated new owners - victims of unscrupulous breeders and sellers who prioritise profit over welfare,” commented Becky Thwaites, head of public affairs for Blue Cross.
“We hope that by highlighting the scale of the problem in our report we can encourage Government to make the vital changes needed to improve the welfare of pets bred and sold.”
The Blue Cross report, Unpicking the Knots: the case for a more cohesive approach to pet welfare legislation, reveals that a third of local authority licensing officers have no formal training in animal welfare. Furthermore, many officers do not feel equipped to recognise problems, particularly for exotic pets.
Some of the other shocking findings include puppies in licensed breeding premises without access to natural daylight; maggots in water bowls in a licensed pet shop; exotic pets like marmosets, fruit bats and parrots being kept in close proximity to each other, and snakes being kept in small boxes with no UV provision.
In response to the findings, the Blue Cross are now calling for new laws that empower local authorities with sufficient resources and training to keep pets safe. Taking into account the growing online pet trade, the proposed laws include:
• Compulsory registration for anyone breeding and selling pets, whether from a commercial premise or their home
• Standardised inspections and guidelines for all local authorities, so all sellers have to meet the same welfare standards to get a license
• An easily accessible database of all sellers and breeders, empowering consumers to make a good choice when buying a pet and giving them legal recourse should something go wrong
• Updating of the Pet Animals Act 1951, to include a specific reference to pets sold online, meaning that internet sellers are subject to the same standards as all other pet shops and breeding establishments
To find out more and read the full report, visit www.bluecross.org.uk/petwelfare.
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
