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Pet imports
What does the new law do?
After a long and sustained campaign by BVA on behalf of our members, the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill received Royal Assent to become law on 2 December 2025. The new law:
- Helps to stop pets being illegally imported into the UK: we’ve previously raised awareness of the plight of animals that are smuggled into the country, sometimes by criminal gangs who dupe pet owners into buying sick or poorly socialised pets. This new legislation reduces the number of animals that can travel under pet travel rules, and enables the Government to bring in restrictions such as increasing the minimum age that puppies can enter the country.
- Bans imports of animals with mutilations: these new powers enable the Government to bring in measures to ban the import of animals with cropped ears, which BVA and The Focus on Animal Law (FOAL) Group have campaigned for through the #CutTheCrop campaign.
- Helps prevent some diseases being imported: the legislation introduces measures which also help reduce the risk of importing some diseases which are not currently endemic to the UK. Increasing the age at which animals can travel and preventing heavily pregnant dogs from coming to the UK reduces the risk of diseases, such as Brucella canis, from being accidentally imported, as there is a heightened risk of transmission associated with pregnancy and abortion.
How BVA campaigned for this legislation
BVA has consistently championed stronger protections, tougher enforcement, and legislation that reflects the realities facing vets on the frontline The passing of this legislation is the result of years of coordinated evidence gathering and campaigning across multiple animal welfare issues.
We worked closely with vets and UK parliamentarians Danny Chambers MP, Neil Hudson MP and Lord Trees, to progress this legislation which is supported by vets, animal welfare charities, politicians, policy makers and the public. Many of these measures have previously been close to becoming law in the Kept Animals Bill and the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill [2023-24], but disappointingly failed to get over the finish line.
A coordinated, profession-wide approach
- Exposing welfare loopholes – we highlighted gaps in existing legislation, such as ear-cropping loopholes, by providing clear veterinary evidence and raising public awareness, helping government understand the urgent need for stronger, enforceable protections.
- Raising awareness of illegal pet movements – through detailed policy recommendations and close work with Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and other partners, we exposed how current pet travel rules enabled illegal imports and demonstrated why tighter checks and enforcement powers were essential.
- Protecting biosecurity and public health – by presenting clinical insight and emerging evidence on diseases like Brucella canis, we showed how outdated regulations were failing to keep pace with growing risks, strengthening the case for updated biosecurity measures.
Across all these areas, BVA has:
- Mobilised members to share frontline insights and case studies, including by using our template letter to contact their MP.
- Spoken directly with MPs, Peers, ministers, and government officials to influence legislative priorities.
- Joined coalitions of welfare organisations to increase pressure and visibility.
- Used media, campaigns, and public platforms to keep the issue in the national conversation.
This persistent, evidence-based campaigning played a key role in securing the legislative change we celebrate today.
More information
For more information on the issues this bill aims to tackle, check out:
- Our Pet travel policy position
- Our #CutTheCrop campaign webpage
- Our Brucella canis hub and policy position
- Read about BVA’s support for the dropped Kept Animals Bill