Dogs TrustA Hampshire MP is set to see a law he proposed to clampdown on the smuggling of dogs, cats and ferrets formally adopted after it has passed through the House of Commons.
The law proposed by Danny Chambers, the Liberal Democrat MP for Winchester who’s also a vet, would crack down on the import of dogs and cats that are mutilated or heavily pregnant.
It would also give the government power to stop the import of puppies and kittens that are under six months old. Currently the minimum age is 15 weeks.
The bill will now go to the House of Lords on its route to becoming law.
The government said in November, when it formally supported Dr Chambers’ private member’s bill, that the “non-commercial” movement of pets had soared from 100,000 in 2011 to over 320,000 in 2023.
Dr Chambers said that the mutilation of dogs, such as cropping their ears, must be stopped.
“It is not legal so it’s not being done by vets and we know people are cropping ears in the UK, probably with no anaesthetic. They often get infections as a result of that,” he said.
“It causes physical and psychological problems for the dog for the rest of its life. It’s purely aesthetic so they look tough, they look vicious, they look mean – even when they don’t.”
Other mutilation of dogs could include them having their tail docked, and with cats it could involve them being declawed.
It is rare that private members’ bills, which are proposed by MPs whose names are pulled out of a random ballot, are adopted.
But the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill would also ban the import of dogs and cats beyond 42 days of pregnancy and limit the number of animals that are allowed in a vehicle.
In a post on social media after his bill passed through the House of Commons, Dr Chambers said: “I could not have asked for a better way to complete my first year as an MP today.
“Too many animals have been suffering at the hands of criminal abusers and as a vet, to see this bill pass means everything to me.”
His bill is supported by the Dogs Trust, which said it took on three Cane Corso puppies that were found to have entered the UK illegally.
Sunny, Ray and Sky were driven from Romania when they were 13 weeks old, without health certificates, and under the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS). They should have entered under commercial legislation.
They were underweight, anxious and had already had their ears cropped and tails docked.
The charity said the change in law would help “further dogs from suffering at the hands of illegal importers”.