PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Dogs: Smuggling (9 March 2021)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to bring forward legislative proposals on the increasing the maximum penalties for the illegal importation of dogs into the UK.

Asked by:
Sir John Hayes (Conservative)

The Government takes the issue of puppy smuggling and other illegal importations of pets very seriously. It is an abhorrent trade which causes suffering to animals and puts the health of pets and people in the UK at risk.

Now the transition period has ended, we have the opportunity to manage our own pet travel and commercial importation rules. We are actively listening to the concerns of stakeholders, such as the RSCPA, the British Veterinary Association and Dogs Trust, and recent Parliamentary work from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, as we consider a range of recommendations in this area.

Answered by:
Victoria Prentis (Conservative)
17 March 2021