Circus animal bill to be scrutinised
Following draft legislation to ban the use of wild animals in circuses in England, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRACom), has invited interested parties to submit evidence on the draft bill.
The draft bill was published by Defra on April 16, and will make it an offence for the operator of a travelling circus to use a wild animal in a performance or exhibition in England.
Wild animals are defined in the draft bill as any animal of a kind not usually domesticated in Britain.
To allow circus operators sufficient time to adapt their businesses and arrange suitable care for their animals, the government has proposed a grace period. Therefore the ban is to come into force on December 1, 2015, by which time operators must have removed any wild animals from their circus.
Interested parties are invited to submit written evidence to EFRACom by Wednesday, May 8.
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
