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Animal Welfare Bill Moves to Lords as RSPCA Warns of Health Threat from Unchecked Dog Imports

The measure heads to the Lords with proposals to ban young or cropped-ear pets, stopping short of licensing rescue importers

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Overview

  • The RSPCA has described untested rescue dogs arriving from Eastern Europe as “ticking time bombs” that could introduce diseases and behavioural problems into UK homes.
  • Government figures show that 320,000 pets entered under travel schemes and 44,000 arrived via commercial imports in 2023, and scientists report Brucella canis cases in UK dogs rose from three in 2020 to 333 by 2024.
  • There is currently no requirement for rescue groups to hold licences when importing dogs into England, Wales or Northern Ireland, leaving welfare and health checks unregulated.
  • Dr Danny Chambers’s Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill bans the import of dogs and cats under six months old, heavily pregnant animals and those with cropped ears or other mutilations.
  • Following its Commons passage with cross-party support, the bill now moves to the House of Lords where peers will debate its provisions before it can become law.