Latest news with #DannyChambers
ITV News
08-07-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
Winchester MP 'over the moon' as his illegal puppy bill is set to become law
Liberal Democrat MP and former vet Danny Chambers has said he is 'over the moon' as his bill to stop illegal puppy imports and 'cruel' dog practices, is set to become law. It will mean there will be a ban on importation of dogs which have been mutilated or are heavily pregnant as well as all puppies and kittens under the age of six months. Speaking to ITV News Meridian's Political Correspondent Kit Bradshaw, Danny Chambers MP said, "In simple terms, this law will mean it will make it illegal to bring dogs into the UK that are under six months old, which will take away the market of puppies." The private members bill still has to go through the House of Lords to become law. The Winchester MP's bill has received backing by the RSPCA, the British Veterinary Association and Dogs Trust, with further calls of the creation of an animal welfare and public health framework. It will also crack down on the steep increase in animal mutilations, in particular ear cropping and tail docking - which has seen a 2000% increase in cases over the past decade. This practice has been illegal in the United Kingdom since 2013, however it has been legal to import affected dogs. There has also been a 600% rise in pregnant dogs illegally smuggled into the UK over the past three years. Danny Chambers, MP for Winchester, said, "I am so pleased to have delivered this bill within a year of it being elected. It is something that the veterinary profession and other welfare professions have been campaigning on for years. "To have an impact so quickly, I'm really pleased."
The Sun
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
UK lawmakers pass bill to ban imports of young puppies and kittens
LONDON: A new bill aimed at stopping animal smuggling and cruelty has passed the UK House of Commons with cross-party support. The legislation, introduced by Liberal Democrat MP Danny Chambers, seeks to reduce the number of animals entering the UK for non-commercial purposes while banning the import of puppies and kittens under six months old and heavily pregnant dogs and cats. The Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill also prohibits the import of pets that have undergone mutilation, such as ear cropping. The bill, backed by the government, will now move to the House of Lords for further approval before becoming law. Chambers, a veterinarian, highlighted the cruelty of puppy smuggling, stating, '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.' The bill includes measures to ensure only pet owners, not third parties, can declare the non-commercial movement of animals. It also mandates the government to enforce three key bans: on importing young pets, heavily pregnant animals, and mutilated dogs and cats. Chambers criticised social media for fuelling demand for dogs with cropped ears, saying, '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.' Labour MP Peter Lamb called out Meta, Facebook's parent company, for hosting content featuring animal abuse. He said, 'We cannot rest on our laurels and Meta must be made to answer for the fact that they are not acting to bring an end to animal abuse on their networks.' Environment minister Emma Hardy welcomed the bill, calling it a 'crucial step forward' in tackling pet smuggling. She added, 'We want to see fewer low-welfare operations supply pets to the GB market and fundamentally less animals to suffer because of this.' - Reuters
South Wales Guardian
04-07-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Bill to ban young kittens and puppies being imported into UK passed by MPs
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. 'Crucially, the Bill places a duty on the Government to use these regulation-making powers to first deliver three key measures – a ban on the import of puppies and kittens under six months old, a ban on the import of heavily pregnant dogs and cats that are more than 42 days pregnant, and a ban on the import of dogs and cats who've been mutilated.' 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.' Labour MP Peter Lamb (Crawley) directly named Meta, which owns Facebook, as a company that publishes content featuring animal abuse. He said: 'There are far too many groups online which are dedicated to animal abuse. Constituents of mine have been involved in attempts to try and shut these groups down over the years. 'They'll also often find that instead of finding support on the part of social media companies, to try and address these problems, instead it is they who are reported and face their own accounts being shut down by those perpetrators.' He added: 'We cannot rest on our laurels and Meta must be made to answer for the fact that they are not acting to bring an end to animal abuse on their networks, and that they are profiting actively from the advertising which appears on that network, and advertisers must be aware that part of what they are paying for, when they pay to advertise on Facebook, is maintenance of animal abuse networks.' Environment minister Emma Hardy said: 'These measures represent a crucial step forward in our collective efforts to tackle the pet smuggling trade.' Ms Hardy added: 'We want to see fewer low-welfare operations supply pets to the GB market and fundamentally less animals to suffer because of this.' She continued: 'As set out in the Government's manifesto, we are committed to ending puppy smuggling and delivering a better future for our animals and I am pleased to say that this Bill does just that. 'It's key measures deliver crucial recommendations put forward by the Efra (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) select committee and tackle multiple concerns that have been raised by stakeholders regarding loopholes in our current pet travel rules.'
Rhyl Journal
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
Bill to ban young kittens and puppies being imported into UK passed by MPs
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. 'Crucially, the Bill places a duty on the Government to use these regulation-making powers to first deliver three key measures – a ban on the import of puppies and kittens under six months old, a ban on the import of heavily pregnant dogs and cats that are more than 42 days pregnant, and a ban on the import of dogs and cats who've been mutilated.' 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.' Labour MP Peter Lamb (Crawley) directly named Meta, which owns Facebook, as a company that publishes content featuring animal abuse. He said: 'There are far too many groups online which are dedicated to animal abuse. Constituents of mine have been involved in attempts to try and shut these groups down over the years. 'They'll also often find that instead of finding support on the part of social media companies, to try and address these problems, instead it is they who are reported and face their own accounts being shut down by those perpetrators.' He added: 'We cannot rest on our laurels and Meta must be made to answer for the fact that they are not acting to bring an end to animal abuse on their networks, and that they are profiting actively from the advertising which appears on that network, and advertisers must be aware that part of what they are paying for, when they pay to advertise on Facebook, is maintenance of animal abuse networks.' Environment minister Emma Hardy said: 'These measures represent a crucial step forward in our collective efforts to tackle the pet smuggling trade.' Ms Hardy added: 'We want to see fewer low-welfare operations supply pets to the GB market and fundamentally less animals to suffer because of this.' She continued: 'As set out in the Government's manifesto, we are committed to ending puppy smuggling and delivering a better future for our animals and I am pleased to say that this Bill does just that. 'It's key measures deliver crucial recommendations put forward by the Efra (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) select committee and tackle multiple concerns that have been raised by stakeholders regarding loopholes in our current pet travel rules.'
New Straits Times
04-07-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
UK lawmakers pass bill to stop imports of kittens and puppies
LONDON: A Bill that aims to stop animal smuggling and cruelty cleared the United Kingdom's (UK) House of Commons on Friday after cross-party support, PA Media/dpa reported. Legislation put forward by Liberal Democrat MP 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'. The lawmaker'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. 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. "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. "Crucially, the bill places a duty on the government to use these regulation-making powers to first deliver three key measures – a ban on the import of puppies and kittens under six months old, a ban on the import of heavily pregnant dogs and cats that are more than 42 days pregnant, and a ban on the import of dogs and cats who've been mutilated." 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. "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." Labour MP Peter Lamb directly named Meta, which owns Facebook, as a company that publishes content featuring animal abuse. "There are far too many groups online which are dedicated to animal abuse. Constituents of mine have been involved in attempts to try and shut these groups down over the years. "They'll also often find that instead of finding support on the part of social media companies, to try and address these problems, instead it is they who are reported and face their own accounts being shut down by those perpetrators. "We cannot rest on our laurels and Meta must be made to answer for the fact that they are not acting to bring an end to animal abuse on their networks, and that they are profiting actively from the advertising which appears on that network, and advertisers must be aware that part of what they are paying for, when they pay to advertise on Facebook, is maintenance of animal abuse networks," he said. Environment Minister Emma Hardy said: "These measures represent a crucial step forward in our collective efforts to tackle the pet smuggling trade." Hardy added: "We want to see fewer low-welfare operations supply pets to the GB market and fundamentally less animals to suffer because of this. "As set out in the government's manifesto, we are committed to ending puppy smuggling and delivering a better future for our animals and I am pleased to say that this bill does just that."
