The idea that a pet was ever only an object, a possession like a chair, was never one anyone signed up to.
But that’s how it was in law until 2022. We changed it to reflect what we all know - pets are part of the family, they’re sentient, and they’re incredibly important to us.
So this is a roundup of what’s changed on animal welfare in general and pets in specific, but let me first give some family context.
I was lucky to grow up with pets - a tortoise (Tonks) in Africa, rabbits and dogs in England. My first dog, a King Charles Cavalier, was called Crispin as he was born on St Crispin’s Day (date of the Battle of Agincourt for those sensibly aware of history). He was, as for so many children, everything.
In Kenya, as a diplomat, Anthea and my Jack Russells went with us everywhere we went, and the same back here in Gloucester with Twiglet, who some readers may remember.
She lived until 19, and surely watched more cricket than any other dog (she never came on the pitch, except at the end of a game to congratulate me on dropping a crucial catch).
Twiglet had an interesting relationship with our cat, which is something other families will have been amused by. They tolerated each other in public, but were closer in private: and she grieved when the cat died much earlier.
It is also rumoured that Twiglet used to go to the Cathedral for evensong on a Friday.
Her successor, Tamu, also black and tan, half Jack Russell half long haired dachshund and now four months old, is equally keen on Robinswood Hill, Tredworth Cemetery and other favourite haunts for dog lovers. She hasn’t yet met a dog as small as her, but as I keep telling her diamonds come in small packages.
You get the point: I’m keen on animals in general - we had sheep before coming to Gloucester - and pets and dogs in particular.
I have written on this issue several times over the years on https://www.richardgraham.org/news/gloucester-mp-welcomes-government-draft-bill-animal-sentience and https://www.richardgraham.org/news/animal-cruelty-cctv-slaughterhouses-and-microbeads.
So I was keen for and strongly supported legislation over the last 14 years which has:
- Banned the live exports of farm livestock for fattening and slaughter to outside the British Isles
- Recognised many animals as sentient beings
- Banned the importing of hunting trophies to the UK
- Banned the use of electric shock collars
Like many of you I also felt it was time to tighten up laws on puppy farming, and voted for Lucy’s Law in 2020 which banned the third-party commercial sale of puppies and kittens. Now, anyone wanting to get a new puppy or kitten must buy direct from a breeder or adopt from rescue shelters.
It was incredibly disappointing therefore that the first person in the city to be convicted of this new offence was Gloucester Councillor, Alastair Chambers.
He was sentenced in December 2023 to 150 hours (18 months) of community payback and has been banned from dealing with animals for 10 years. I hope this sends a clear message that illegal puppy farming is a serious crime.
During and after the pandemic we all became more aware of the importance pets had on our mental wellbeing. This is one reason why we are also changing the law, through the Renters (Reform) Bill, to allow renters to have their pets live with them without special permission from landlords.
More controversially there has been the consultation over XL Bully dogs, and the results convinced the government to implement a ban on XL Bully dogs on 31st December 2023. It was possible to get a certificate of exemption after neutering the dog but that process has now expired and anyone now seeking one should contact the police.
I know this isn’t universally popular with my constituents but there was a strong national feeling that something must be done after a number of very aggressive attacks on both other dogs and humans – including earlier this month in Essex.
Some feel we haven’t gone far enough on Animal Welfare: it is true that the original wide-reaching ‘Kept Animals’ Bill proposed has been shelved because of concerns that the Lords would amend the Bill in new ways unhelpful (for example) to British farmers.
However, the King’s Speech made clear that we intend to bring forward measures from that bill as single-issue legislation – we have already seen this with the Livestock Exports Bill and the Pet Abduction Bill (whose scope is narrow).
In a nutshell we’ve made or proposed a lot of changes on animal welfare: too many for some and not enough for others. This may be a sign we’ve got it about right, but you are the judges – I know many pet owners would like to see loud fireworks banned, for example, but it is hard to see how this could be enforced effectively.
Ultimately you are the judges of whether these changes made through the law are helpful. Do let me know your thoughts by e mail on [email protected]
Best regards
