Regulating on-line animal sales
Christina Rees MP
I volunteered to lead the UK Parliament E-Petition “#Reggieslaw — Regulate online animal sales” because my daughter had a dog called Reggie and he was very much part of our family. We loved him so much that it broke our hearts when he tragically died from cancer. I met with Richard Ackers, who started this petition, before the debate and he told me that he created the petition after he bought his 12 week Labrador puppy Reggie through a reputable website for his partner for Christmas, but then realised that he had unknowingly contributed to illegal puppy farming. Richard conceded that he should have done more research before buying Reggie, and that he should have walked away, to prevent the seller getting more money to continue with acts of animal cruelty.
Reggie fell ill 12 hours after Richard took him home and Reggie died from parvovirus 2 days later. When Richard bought Reggie he thought that he was from St Helens, Merseyside, but when he went back to the address that he had bought Reggie from, the seller had fled. The microchip number for Reggie did not match the documentation and it was registered to Dublin. Richard believes that Reggie was illegally shipped to the UK.
Richard started “Justice for Reggie” to raise awareness of the dangers of online animal sales and it is part of the “Animal Welfare Alliance”, also set up by Richard, which includes some animal websites. Richard wants the UK Government to establish a regulatory board to regulate all animal sales websites, and these websites should be verified before they are set up. Also, that websites should display photos of puppies suckling on their mother, and online sellers should be identifiable through photo ID plus 2 “proof of address” documents, so that it is possible to prove whom, and from where, the pet is sold. Richard is determined that people who buy animals through online sales do not suffer the heartache he felt watching Reggie die. Richard walked 200 miles from his home to 10 Downing Street to present a petition to the Prime Minister.
Animal welfare is a devolved matter. In England there is no specific legislation on buying a pet online, but the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 cover dog and cat breeding and selling animals as pets, as licensed by local authorities. Dog breeding is defined as three or more litters a year, or where the local authority considers it to be a business. Selling animals as pets covers selling and selling on, whether bred by the seller or not. The regulations require an advertisement to include the licence number, licensing authority, age of animal, a photo of the animal, country of origin and residence, and that the animal is in good health. Dogs must be sold in the presence of the purchaser and from the premises where it is kept. In April 2020, Lucy’s Law amended these regulations to prohibit the commercial sale of dogs and cats under 6 months of age, other than by the breeder. But this does not cover private sellers, and during the debate, I asked the Minister to widen the regulations, in order to close this loophole.
In Wales, The Animal Welfare (Licencing of Activities involving Animals) (Wales) Regulations were debated and approved in the Senedd on 23rd March 2021, and came into force on 10th September 2021. It is now illegal for a commercial seller to sell a puppy or a kitten they have not bred themselves at their own premises, and they must ensure the mother is present. Puppies and kittens can only be purchased from where they were bred or from a rescue or rehoming centre. This bans third party sale of puppies and kittens, aged up to six months, and enables new owners of pets to see where their animals have been bred, thus providing assurance that the animal has not changed hands too often and not had many journeys. Breeders should apply for a licence from their local authority, who will inspect their premises, and each local authority has discretion when applying the regulations. No more buying pets from pet shops, markets, or via the internet. These regulations are designed to make sure that all animals involved in breeding and selling are healthy and happy, cared for, and their needs are met. Welsh Government consulted vets, local authorities, animal welfare charities and members of the public when preparing the regulations.
Before the Petitions debate, I also met with many stakeholders. The RSPCA told me that demand for puppies rose exponentially during the pandemic because people wanted companionship or exercise. Google searches for “puppies near me” increased by 650%, with 15,000 searches in July 2021, compared with only 2,000 in January 2020. The price of popular breeds rose dramatically, for example, the cost of a French Bulldog increased from £1,500 to £7,000. Trade in imported dogs also escalated by 43% between May 2019 and May 2020, and many of these were online sales. The RSPCA told me that there are still loopholes in the law, huge issues with enforcement, which should be a priority, especially in the complicated online marketplace, and that local authorities in England need more resources. Also, HMRC needs more funding to investigate into pet selling, which often involves large amounts of money. And the Border Force should prioritise illegal import of animals.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) can refer advertisers who persistently break the code of non-broadcasting advertising, sales, promotion, and direct marketing — the CAP code — to trading standards departments, but as I’ve mentioned, local authorities are under-resourced.
I ended my speech by urging the Minister to enact Reggie’s Law to prevent “dogfishing” where people try to mislead someone into buying a dog which is not as advertised. All MPs who spoke in the debate proved that we are a nation of animal lovers, and there was cross-party agreement that we abhor animal cruelty.
The UK Government Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Jo Churchill MP, responded to the debate. She stated that the UK Government has worked hard to improve animal welfare, but there are still gaps. She listed the UK Government’s achievements: increasing sentencing available in courts for serious cases of animal cruelty from 6 months to 5 years; an action plan for animal welfare setting out future aims and ambitions making sure the UK is at the leading edge of animal welfare; and self-regulation of online platforms through working with the Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG), made up of 25 animal welfare, trade, and veterinary organisations, set up in 2001, to combat irresponsible advertising of pets for sale, re-homing and exchange, endorsed by DEFRA and devolved administrations. I mentioned in my speech that PAAG has set minimum standards for advertising pets for sale, which have been adopted by several of the UK’s largest classified websites, but this is voluntary, and self-regulation doesn’t go far enough.
I wound up the debate by urging the UK Government to act now, because unscrupulous people are making money from online pet sales, not caring whether the animals they sell live or die, and innocent people are being duped. I cannot understand how anyone can be cruel to a pet who only gives unconditional love.
Christina Rees is the MP for Neath