Imported dogs could carry disease or behaviour risk, RSPCA warns
RSPCA spokesman David Bowles likened the process to 'Deliveroo for dogs' and called on the Government to tighten regulations on animal rescues.
He told the BBC: 'The RSPCA's major concern is these dogs are essentially ticking time bombs – coming over, not being health tested.
'Diseases are now coming in through these dogs. They're affecting not just the dogs that are being imported, they could also affect the dogs already in this country and their owners.
'They've almost set up a Deliveroo for dogs and that is a real problem.'
There is no requirement for rescue organisations to be licensed in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
It comes weeks after a bill that aims to stop animal smuggling and cruelty cleared the Commons with cross-party support.
Legislation put forward by Liberal Democrat MP Dr Danny Chambers will reduce the number of animals for non-commercial entry into the UK, ban the import of puppies and kittens under six months old or heavily pregnant dogs and cats, and introduce a halt on the import of dogs and cats who have been 'mutilated', including having their ears docked.
The MP for Winchester's Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill was supported by the Government, and will now proceed to the House of Lords on its passage to becoming law.
Dr Chambers said: 'As a vet, I've seen the devastating consequences of puppy smuggling. It's unimaginably cruel to separate puppies and kittens from their mothers at a very young age, and then bring them across borders in substandard conditions where they're then sold for maximum profit by unscrupulous traders who prioritise profit over welfare.'
He added: 'Careful consideration has been given to setting these limits, balancing the need to disrupt illegal trade with minimising impact on genuine pet owners. To underpin this, only an owner, not an authorised person, will be permitted to sign and declare that the movement of a dog or cat is non-commercial.
He criticised the influence of social media on the increased demand for dogs with docked ears, and a party colleague hit out at the platforms' role in publishing animal abuse.
He said: 'One reason that there is such an interest in dogs with cropped ears is that a lot of influencers on Instagram and other social media platforms pose with these dogs or show they have these new dogs with cropped ears. Many people aren't aware that this is a mutilation.
'They think it's how the dogs' ears normally look, and it drives a demand for dogs that look like this.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
STV News
5 hours ago
- STV News
I won't ever sit back and declare ‘job done', says drugs minister
Drugs minister Maree Todd has said she will never 'sit back, relax and say 'job done'' in the fight against drug deaths. Todd was appointed to the role in June following the death of Christina McKelvie earlier this year from secondary breast cancer. Despite the circumstances of the appointment, the former mental health pharmacist said she was 'excited' to move from the social care brief to drugs as the Government continues its push to tackle the level of addiction and death across Scotland. The minister inherits a legacy which has been long-criticised by opponents, with Scotland having the highest drug death rates in Europe – a figure which actually increased between 2022 and 2023 in the latest available confirmed data. Just this week, figures showed the number of suspected drug deaths between March and May of this year increased by 15% compared to the previous 13 weeks. Speaking to the PA news agency, the minister said there is a 'consensus' that 'the work we are doing is the right kind of work', but the Government is responding to a 'changing landscape'. When the Government launched its national mission on drugs under the premiership of Nicola Sturgeon, the focus was largely on opioids such as heroin. But that has shifted, reflecting an increase in the injection of cocaine and the spectre of synthetic opioids known as nitazenes. On the latter, the minister said: 'They are unbelievably potent, super-strong, very tiny amounts can cause fatal overdoses easily.' As it looks to deal with the shifting threat posed by drugs, she stressed the need for the Government to be 'agile'. Todd said: 'We've just had our rapid action drug alerts and response (Radar) statistics released this week and we've seen a rise in deaths, a rise in Naloxone use, a rise in hospital admissions. 'We are seeing some absolutely significant and tangible harm occurring because of the change in the drug supply. 'I suppose the lesson that provides to me is that we need to be agile. 'I don't think we do one thing and this job is done and we fixed the problem that Scotland faces, we have to continually look carefully at what's happening in Scotland, understand the challenges that we're facing, understand the harms that people are experiencing.' She added: 'I don't think I would ever sit back and relax and say 'job done'. 'I think we've seen some significant progress, but each of these deaths is an absolute tragedy – it's a family who's lost a loved one, it's a loss of potential and contribution to our communities.' The way forward, she said , is a job for the whole of Government, saying there is a need for 'primary prevention'. The minister said: 'We need to be thinking, why is it that Scotland faces this challenge and what can we do to shift the likelihood that people growing up in Scotland will turn to drugs and alcohol as they grow older?' Earlier this year, the Thistle Centre opened in the east end of Glasgow, a UK-first safe consumption room giving those struggling with addiction a safe place to inject drugs. Since opening, the facility has supervised 3,008 injecting episodes and dealt with 39 medical emergencies, which could include administering Naloxone or even resuscitation. 'People would definitely have died if they had not been in that unit,' Ms Todd said. 'I think in March, there was a cluster of very profound overdose episodes, I think this is the issue with nitazenes, they act very fast, so people were really unwell really quickly and it takes a lot of Naloxone because of its potency.' In other parts of Scotland without the benefit of a safe consumption room where that specific batch of drug was used, the minister said: 'Where people used it, they did die.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Glasgow Times
5 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
I won't ever sit back and declare ‘job done', drugs minister says
Ms Todd was appointed to the role in June following the death of Christina McKelvie earlier this year from secondary breast cancer. Drugs minister Maree Todd has said she will never 'sit back, relax and say 'job done'' in the fight against drug deaths. Despite the circumstances of the appointment, the former mental health pharmacist said she was 'excited' to move from the social care brief to drugs as the Government continues its push to tackle the level of addiction and death across Scotland. The minister inherits a legacy which has been long-criticised by opponents, with Scotland having the highest drug death rates in Europe – a figure which actually increased between 2022 and 2023 in the latest available confirmed data. Just this week, figures showed the number of suspected drug deaths between March and May of this year increased by 15% compared to the previous 13 weeks. Speaking to the PA news agency, the minister said there is a 'consensus' that 'the work we are doing is the right kind of work', but the Government is responding to a 'changing landscape'. When the Government launched its national mission on drugs under the premiership of Nicola Sturgeon, the focus was largely on opioids such as heroin. But that has shifted, reflecting an increase in the injection of cocaine and the spectre of synthetic opioids known as nitazenes. On the latter, the minister said: 'They are unbelievably potent, super-strong, very tiny amounts can cause fatal overdoses easily.' As it looks to deal with the shifting threat posed by drugs, she stressed the need for the Government to be 'agile'. Ms Todd said: 'We've just had our rapid action drug alerts and response (Radar) statistics released this week and we've seen a rise in deaths, a rise in Naloxone use, a rise in hospital admissions. 'We are seeing some absolutely significant and tangible harm occurring because of the change in the drug supply. 'I suppose the lesson that provides to me is that we need to be agile. 'I don't think we do one thing and this job is done and we fixed the problem that Scotland faces, we have to continually look carefully at what's happening in Scotland, understand the challenges that we're facing, understand the harms that people are experiencing.' She added: 'I don't think I would ever sit back and relax and say 'job done'. 'I think we've seen some significant progress, but each of these deaths is an absolute tragedy – it's a family who's lost a loved one, it's a loss of potential and contribution to our communities.' The way forward, she said , is a job for the whole of Government, saying there is a need for 'primary prevention'. The minister said: 'We need to be thinking, why is it that Scotland faces this challenge and what can we do to shift the likelihood that people growing up in Scotland will turn to drugs and alcohol as they grow older?' Earlier this year, the Thistle Centre opened in the east end of Glasgow, a UK-first safe consumption room giving those struggling with addiction a safe place to inject drugs. Since opening, the facility has supervised 3,008 injecting episodes and dealt with 39 medical emergencies, which could include administering Naloxone or even resuscitation. 'People would definitely have died if they had not been in that unit,' Ms Todd said. 'I think in March, there was a cluster of very profound overdose episodes, I think this is the issue with nitazenes, they act very fast, so people were really unwell really quickly and it takes a lot of Naloxone because of its potency.' In other parts of Scotland without the benefit of a safe consumption room where that specific batch of drug was used, the minister said: 'Where people used it, they did die.'
The Herald Scotland
8 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
'New cotton bud'. Plastic hygiene product should be banned
A group of 20 organisations, including campaigns, charities and businesses, has issued the letter urging the Scottish Government to ban them. Flossers join a long list of personal hygiene and other products that have littered Scotland's coastlines, including not only cotton buds, but wipes, plastic cutlery, sanitary towels, pharmaceutical blister packs, Covid masks, interdental brushes and straws. Some, like cotton buds and straws, have been banned. But others continue to make their way into waterways, landfill and sewage systems, contributing to the rising deluge of global plastic pollution that is showing no signs of slowing. The call comes in the run up to the final round of talks for the UN global plastics treaty, which is looking at how to tackle both plastic waste and plastic at source. This new form of waste is just one element in the rising tide of pollution driven by production levels are set to triple by 2060. 'The dental flosser may be a small, innocuous-looking item,' the letter observes, 'but single use dental flossers are being sold in multi-packs by most supermarkets and pharmacies, and they are littering our streets, parks and beaches. We have collated photo evidence of these items across Scotland, from the pristine beach of the island of Colonsay, to the city streets of Edinburgh and Glasgow, to the east coast by St Abbs." A move like this, the authors point out, would align with the [[Scottish Government]]'s forthcoming Circular Economy Strategy, which has targets to reduce plastic production and waste, as well as the New Plastics [[Economy]] Global Commitment, which the [[Scottish Government]] signed in 2018. A dental flosser found on the Isle of Colonsay (Image: Rachael Revesz) Concerned signatories include campaigner and social media influencer Laura Young, also known as 'Less Waste Laura', who led the campaign against disposable electric vapes and Don MacNeish, a founder of the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST), one of the voices in David Attenborough's recent Ocean documentary. Some of the signatories are clean up groups who have noticed the rise in dental flossers in litter picks. Marion Montgomery of Paws on Plastic said: 'They are something that our members find regularly on walks, in parks, on streets. Not only are they an example of unnecessary single use plastic but they also pose a potential risk to animals and an environmental hazard for generations.' Waste from Arrochar litter sink (Image: The GRAB Trust) Beach cleaners from Scottish Coastal Clean Up observed that the flossers tended to be found "wherever we find wipes". The letter points out that while dental flossers, also called, 'dental harps', 'may be more accessible for some people to maintain dental hygiene', there are alternative products. Even so-called 'eco flossers', it notes, are problematic since they are made from 'equally harmful bioplastics'. 'We urge policy makers to turn the tide against our throw-away culture by banning the sale of an item that is barely used for a few seconds before it spends decades, if not centuries, in landfill," the letter said. In recent years Scotland has banned plastic straws, drink stirrers and polystyrene food containers. "We've charged a fee on plastic bags," says the letter, "and we've banned single use vapes. These have been bold moves, and they've had a remarkable impact. READ MORE: Scottish scientists discover new threat to marine life: sunscreen meeting plastic 'The beach crunched': Scotland's extreme beach cleans Less than 10% of plastic produced globally comes from recycled materials – study The problem, Ms Young pointed out, is that the flosser is just one of many single-use items contributing to wider plastic pollution, with ever more new items entering the market. 'Plastic dental flossers are yet another example of unnecessary single-use waste polluting our environment. I've seen them in towns and cities, littering streets and clogging gutters, and on our beaches, alongside other toiletry-related waste like plastic cotton buds, tampon applicators, and wet wipes.' Progress, she noted, has already been made on some items, with bans like plastic cotton buds and straws. 'But the rest? Still polluting our environment and wasting resources.' "It's frustrating that we continue to act only after these plastics become a visible problem. We need upstream solutions, not piecemeal bans. The United Nations Global Plastics Treaty meeting this month is a chance for us collectively to go beyond voluntary pledges and weak commitments. We need binding global action that holds corporations accountable, enforces plastic reduction targets, and redesigns the systems driving overconsumption. "Individuals can choose better, businesses must do better, and governments must act faster and smarter. The planet can't wait." Kat Jones, director of Action to Protect Rural Scotland, said that the ban would be a "start" but that laws are needed "to encourage and incentivise producers make responsible products." "Producers are constantly inventing new types of throw-away item while persuading us that we can't live without them. The one-use flosser is an absolute prime example. "Until producers can turn their skills in innovation and technical knowhow to the service of sustainability, rather than thinking of the next throw-away gimmick, we are always going to be battling waste, litter and the pollution of our seas item by item." Personal hygiene litter collected by beach clean artist Lil Vischer (Image: Vicky Allan) The letter is also not the only one to be issued as the UN Global Plastic Treaty talks begin in Geneva, calling for action and commitment from the Scottish Government. Another open letter to the first minister, from 18 groups including Friends of the Earth Scotland and Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, has outline the damage created by plastic, and called for the Scottish Government to act now to prevent further harm. Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner for Friends of the Earth Scotland said: 'We all want a future free from plastic pollution, but the Scottish Government is failing to take the actions needed to protect people and nature from the growing harms of the plastics crisis. "Promises at an international level will only be meaningful if they are backed up with action at a local level. Industry-backed solutions, such as recycling, do not address the underlying cause of the plastics crisis – that there is too much plastic to begin with and more is being made every day. 'It doesn't have to be this way. The Global Plastics Treaty is an incredible opportunity internationally, and a chance for the Scottish Government to reset the way plastics are used in Scotland too. 'There are practical steps the Scottish Government should be taking today to halt the plastics crisis. These include immediately banning the burning of plastic waste, forcing companies to be responsible for cleaning the products they sell, and investing in reuse services.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Scotland was the first part of the UK to implement a ban on some of the most problematic single-use plastic products and we continue to work with our partners to reduce many sources of plastic pollution as possible and also to support the removal of rubbish from our seas and coastline. 'In addition, the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 increases the powers available to the Government to take action on waste in Scotland, and we are also progressing with international efforts to address major pollution sources such as plastic pellets, as well as supporting the removal of rubbish from our seas and beaches.'
