Hansard

The UK Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill proposes to make puppy and kitten smuggling more difficult by banning the import of puppies and kittens under six months, and it seeks to improve animal welfare by banning the import of cats and dogs that have been mutilated or that are heavily pregnant.

It will also close loopholes and make it more difficult for illegal traders who pose as pet owners travelling with their animals to import animals. We have all heard stories of people being duped into buying pets that have been illegally imported. Those animals are seldom in good health, have not been inoculated and have often been removed from their mothers when they were too young. When a breed is sought after, those animals can be really expensive to buy, making it a lucrative trade for criminals. Sadly, there is even more cost for buyers and more vet fees for sick animals. In the worst-case scenario, those pets might die because their illness cannot be treated.

The Cats Protection briefing told us that 4 per cent of all cats that were purchased in a one-year period were bought from abroad, which possibly reflects the increase in demand for specific breeds. Although 4 per cent does not seem very much, it equates to 65,000 cats.

In this Parliament, members’ bills are looking at dog sales and dog theft, indicating that the trade in dogs is problematic and attractive to criminals. All those bills are worthy, but, if we are being honest, the issue needs a more comprehensive approach than that piecemeal one. The Government should consider consolidating legislation to ensure that the law can deal with the illegal trade of pets. However, the UK bill will make it more difficult to illegally import animals and make the trade less lucrative, which is a positive outcome. That will help to improve animal welfare and protect buyers from purchasing animals that have not been bred properly and might have been subject to cruelty and neglect.

Although the LCM is to be welcomed, there are concerns about the process surrounding it and the lack of time that we have had to deal with it, which has meant that the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee was not able to scrutinise the legislation. The Scottish Government, rather than providing an explanation of why that was or offering reassurance that it would ensure that it did not happen again, has become defensive and dismissive. Doubling down on that tonight is really not helpful.