I know how strongly my constituents feel about animal welfare and safety, which is why I’m delighted that the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has announced a flagship five-year plan on animal welfare. The new measures build on previous Labour legislation such as the Hunting Act 2004 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006 that saw the ban of hunting foxes, deer, and other wild animals.
Committed to its manifesto pledges, the Government has today published its Animal Welfare Strategy for England, widening protections for animals at home, on the farm, and in the wild. I’m very excited to share the new developments with you today.
At Home:
- Crack down on puppy farming: Introduction of a single registration system for all dog breeders, linked to licensing, to improve traceability and enforcement to stop low-welfare puppy breeding.
- Ban on puppy smuggling: Puppy smuggling has been banned through laws targeting deceitful pet traders. The import of dogs and cats under six months old, or if they’re heavily pregnant, will also be banned to prevent suffering endured during long journeys.
- Renters Rights, Pets Rights: The Renters Rights Act will stop landlords unfairly refusing consent and will give tenants to right to challenge decision, helping responsible pet owners stay with their pets.
- Electric shock collars: The Government will tackle electric shock collars due to its harm to our pets. They have already been banned in Wales.
On the Farm:
- Colony cage phase-out for laying hens: There are 10 million egg-laying hens, and around 20% of egg-laying birds in England are confined to colony cages. These cages give each bird little more space than an A4 sheet of paper, which prevents natural movements like running, flapping, or foraging. Labour is planning to ban such cages.
- Farrowing crate phase-out for pigs: These crates, though designed to protect piglets, severely restrict the sow’s movement, and prevent her from performing natural behaviours like nest building. So, the Government plans to phase them out.
In the Wild:
- Trail hunting ban: For too long, trail hunting has resulted in the hunting of live mammals with dogs. We committed to banning it in our manifesto, and that’s what will happen. Large packs of hounds can endanger wildlife, pets, and even people, and the practice risks being used as a smokescreen for illegal hunting.
- Snare trap ban: Snare traps will be banned; snares, which leave animals for extended periods without water, food or shelter, are cruel and indiscriminate. They often catch pet dogs and other non-target species.
- Introduction of a close season for hares: A new close season for hares will be introduced to reduce the number of adult hares that are shot in the breeding season, meaning fewer young hares will be left motherless and starving. The brown hare population in England and Wales has fallen by 80 percent in the last 100 years, and these new protections will help prevent deaths amongst hares and their young.
I welcome these new measures – welfare standards should extend to all animals, whether in our homes, on the farm, or in the wild.