I have long supported the campaign to clamp down on pet smuggling into the UK and to introduce greater protections for imported cats and dogs.  Indeed, I have spent a decade raising this issue with the Government, including writing to Ministers and asking them to move against this terrible trade, to no avail. 

I was pleased that the Government had promised in its 2019 manifesto to tackle puppy smuggling.  However, it wasn’t until 2021 that the Government finally introduced a Bill which included measures to address it: the Kept Animals Bill. 

Sadly, it was the case that the Government was only going to legislate to tackle dog and puppy smuggling, despite over 10,000 Cats Protection supporters writing into the related consultation urging the government to include cats and kittens.  I also raised this disparity with the Government personally.  However, Ministers repeatedly rejected calls for the protections to be extended to cover other pets. 

The Government then axed the Kept Animals Bill and promised to introduce its content through several individual Bills.  It could have used this as an opportunity to introduce a Bill that seeks to tackle the smuggling of all pets.  However, almost a year on, the Government has introduced no such Bill.  

Instead, backbench MPs have taken it upon themselves to introduce legislation.  One, the Shark Fins Act (2023), has already passed and another, the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill, has passed its Second Reading.

Now, a third Private Member’s Bill (PMB), the ‘Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill’, has been introduced to do the Government’s job for it and pass what was in the Kept Animals Bill with regard to pet smuggling. 

It is deeply disappointing that the Government seems to have given up all interest in improving animal welfare and in its own animal welfare legislation.  However, this PMB is a marked improvement over what the Government proposed.  As the title suggests, this Bill is designed to tackle the smuggling of dogs, cats and ferrets, whereas the Government’s original proposal only specified puppy smuggling. 

The Bill had its Second Reading on 15 March and passed without the need for a vote.  During the debate, Mark Spencer, the Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries, said that the Government “will fully support this Bill today”. 

I am pleased that the Bill passed, and, with Government support, it should be able to complete the remaining Parliamentary stages and become law without any major obstacles.  My only concern is that its passage needs to be completed before the end of this Parliamentary session, or before a General Election is called if that is sooner, as any Bill not passed by then will automatically fall. 

I can assure you that I will continue to follow developments with this Bill closely and support action to tackle pet smuggling.