The Member of Parliament for Eastleigh, Mims Davies, has met with the Dogs Trust team in Parliament to reaffirm her support for ending the cruel practice of puppy smuggling and the abuse of the pet travel scheme.
The recent parliamentary event comes on the heels of the ‘Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Bill’ receiving its third reading in the House of Commons earlier this month. ‘Finns Law’ as it’s also known will make sure that abuse of service animals is considered as an offence, with service animals no longer considered to be ‘property’.
Commenting, Eastleigh MP Mims Davies said:
“The work Dogs Trust are doing to shed light on this vital issue is so important. As a dog owner myself I know how vital it is that our pets are cared for properly, and I am pleased that this issue is starting to gain the attention it deserves, with many constituents taking the time to get in touch with me.
“We should be clear to those involved in this barbaric practice, vets, smugglers and dealers, they are committing a crime and should be prepared to be prosecuted. They know what they are doing is cruel and wrong and we must make it clear that practice is totally unacceptable.
“Having worked alongside Ministers at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on this issue, I recognise that the best way to bring these people to justice is to continue to increase the visibility of the issue and that is why I was so pleased to see the Dogs Trust team today.
“The role that charities such as the Dogs Trust play is crucial, and I look forward to continuing to support their important work going forward and putting an end to puppy smuggling.”
Puppy smuggling currently sees thousands of puppies transported across Central and Eastern Europe, in horrendous conditions, to be sold to unsuspecting buyers here in the UK. An investigation by the Dogs Trust recently found evidence of corrupt vets in Central and Eastern Europe falsifying documents for underage puppies to be brought into Great Britain and pregnant dogs being smuggled in so their puppies can be born in the UK.