BVA welcomes Parliamentary committee calls for crack down on unregulated canine fertility clinics and irresponsible pet breeding

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has welcomed the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee report on pet welfare and abuse, which calls on the Government to address unlicensed and low-welfare dog and cat breeding as a priority, including cracking down on the growing number of unregulated canine fertility clinics. It also wants to close existing loopholes that allow illegal mutilations such as ear cropping and tail docking to continue.

The report follows an EFRA consultation last year, to which BVA had responded on behalf of its 19,000 members.

Key recommendations of the report are:

• Stricter licensing regulations for dog breeders.
• Bring cat welfare and cat breeding under the same legislative safeguards awarded to dogs. 
• Reform the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 to include stricter penalties for illegal acts of veterinary surgery by unregulated canine fertility clinics.
• Close the legal loophole around ear cropping, tail docking and de-clawing and ban the sale of DIY kits to perform ear-cropping on dogs. 
• Stricter import measures to clamp down on puppy smuggling and serious disease risks such as Brucella canis.

Responding to the report, BVA President Anna Judson said:

“Irresponsible breeding of animals is the top animal health and welfare concern for vets in the UK, so we’re pleased to see the breadth and scope of recommendations within the EFRA Committee report to tackle this issue. We’re campaigning for action on many of the concerns it raises, including the rise in unregulated dog fertility clinics operating without any veterinary oversight. We know that many such services are focused on ‘designer’ dog breeds with extreme characteristics, like pugs and French bulldogs, that often have serious health and welfare issues. We urge the Government to act swiftly not only to protect these animals but also to address broader problems of pet welfare and breeding, as outlined in the EFRA report.”