Government petition for regulation of rescues

[CitizenKanine]

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Some of you may have heard about the recent multi-agency raid on fake rescue 'Save a Paw' in Billericay, Essex, where 20 live dogs & the remains of at least another 37 were removed, it's currently probably the most horrific time ever for the rescue world.

The continuing fallout from 'lockdown dogs', the cost of living crisis & the XL bully ban have all created a perfect storm- genuine, respectable rescues are on their knees & sadly a lot of less than ethical people have crawled out of the woodwork to try & profit from this state of flux.

There is currently no regulation, or requirement to carry out inspections, of rescues, anyone can (& recently plenty have!) just set up a pop-up rescue in their living room, a run-down shed in the back garden, or even no physical premises at all.

They are receiving money donated by animal-loving members of the public on platforms such as GoFundMe, are not being transparent about issues with animals they've taken in or how these donations are being spent, often take animals from owners straight into new adopters' homes on the same day with no assessments, neutering, vet checks, or RBU, adopting out animals to anyone who is willing to pay, are often not qualified or experienced enough to properly assess temperaments before rehoming, passing dogs around like hot potatoes & generally have no concern for the welfare of the animals.

Petition below:

Petition: Introduce Licensing and Regulation for Dog and Cat Rescues to Protect Welfare

 

[Flobo]

I agree, I'll check this petition and sign tmrw.

I've never understood how someone like me who has only ever home boarded on a one to one basis has had to have a very in depth licence to do so, yet the above scenarios go on...and on...

 

[Linz1012]

Signed. Thanks for sharing. And for everything you do.

 

[JudyN]

@CitizenKanine, I've signed and would like to share on Facebook. Is it OK for me to nick the wording from your post, please?

 

[JoanneF]

Done.

 

[CitizenKanine]

@CitizenKanine, I've signed and would like to share on Facebook. Is it OK for me to nick the wording from your post, please?

Of course! It needs as many people on board as possible.

 

[arealhuman]

Good cause, signed. I can't see it happening though in the current financial environment, sadly.

 

[CitizenKanine]

Good cause, signed. I can't see it happening though in the current financial environment, sadly.

And the fact that sadly very little of the legislation we already have is enforced- you only have to see how puppy farmers have found loopholes to get around Lucy's Law & are now thriving more than ever, & of course the poor sentencing dished out for animal cruelty & neglect.

I'm sad to say I was so hopeful when the Animal Welfare Act was brought in back in 2006, & that the UK looked like it would be setting an example to the rest of the world, but if anything I think wilful abuse & exploitation of animals has become significantly worse

 

[Dibbythedog]

Signed. Just shocking.

 

[Flobo]

Signed.
Sadly I agree, without teams to enforce the legislation, it's hard to see any improvements with what we have already. The increase in animal abuse, neglect and exploitation has gone through the roof, it's just heart breaking Just the fact anyone can go online and buy absolutely any animal they desire is unbelievable...(another issue I know)

It is important to keep trying to do something though!

 

[RGC]

Unless I’ve got this wrong we’re still short of 40K signatures to have this heard in The House. Still need to spread the word.

 

[Burrowzig]

Signed - though it doesn't say much about what sort of regulation, how it would be enforced or the costs to existing, properly managed rescues.

 

[arealhuman]

I received this response today (petition s currently at 58022 signatures):

The Government has responded to the petition you signed – “Introduce Licensing and Regulation for Dog and Cat Rescues to Protect Welfare ”.

Government responded:

Animal rescue organisations must meet existing statutory welfare requirements. Moving forward, the Government is developing an animal welfare strategy and will outline more detail in due course.

The Government appreciates the important work that responsible animal sanctuaries as well as rescue and rehoming organisations do, often on a voluntary basis, to ensure that animals taken into the care of these organisations are offered the opportunity of a forever home.

There are existing protections under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, whereby any person responsible for an animal, whether on a permanent or temporary basis, has a duty to ensure the welfare of the animals in their care. Companion animal rescue and rehoming organisations in England and Wales must therefore comply with statutory welfare requirements set out in the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Therefore, the Department encourages individuals to report any concerns regarding whether these standards are being met to the relevant local authority, which has powers to investigate.

Members of the public can also check if the rescue centre they use is a member of the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes, which has set clear standards for animal assessments, neutering and rehoming procedures that all members adhere to.

More broadly, the Department is developing an overarching approach to animal welfare and, as part of this, is actively considering the animal welfare protections in place in rescue and rehoming centres, including whether there is a need for additional guidance or regulation. The Department has also initiated a series of meetings with key animal welfare stakeholders as part of this wider work. We will be outlining more detail in due course.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

This is a revised response. The Petitions Committee requested a response which more directly addressed the request of the petition. You can find the original response towards the bottom of the petition page (Petition: Introduce Licensing and Regulation for Dog and Cat Rescues to Protect Welfare)

Click this link to view the response online:

Petition: Introduce Licensing and Regulation for Dog and Cat Rescues to Protect Welfare

The Petitions Committee will take a look at this petition and its response. They can press the government for action and gather evidence. If this petition reaches 100,000 signatures, the Committee will consider it for a debate.

The Committee is made up of 11 MPs, from political parties in government and in opposition. It is entirely independent of the Government. Find out more about the Committee: How petitions work

Thanks,

The Petitions Team
House of Commons

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