PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(20 February 2026)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he will consider the potential merits of exemptions to restrictions on importing docked dogs for recognised rescue charities rehoming dogs that were docked prior to rescue.

Asked by:
Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat)

As outlined in the manifesto, the Government is committed to ending puppy smuggling. Which is why the Government supported the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Act 2025.

This Act will give the Government powers to prevent the supply of low-welfare pets to the United Kingdom.

The Government will use these powers to prohibit dogs and cats being brought into Great Britain with non-exempted mutilations, such as docked tails and cropped ears. Any appropriate exemptions to these prohibitions will be delivered via secondary legislation at a later date. In the meantime, Defra will continue to work with stakeholders including rescue organisations and consider their feedback. The Government is clear that any exemptions will need to be finely balanced against the risk of creating loopholes that could be exploited by bad actors.

Answered by:
()