PDTE 2019 June Newsletter

Country
Corner
Update
United Kingdom
Kirsty Grant
England has made a step forward in the attempt to put an
end to the incredibly cruel puppy farm operations that
currently supply independent traders and some pet shops
with very young puppies.
The first stage has been a ban on puppies being sold under
the age of 8 weeks which came into effect on 1st Oct.
Although this doesn't go anywhere near enough to reach
what is appropriate for young dogs, up until now, many
puppies who start their lives in these terrible places are
leaving their place of birth at 4 or 5 weeks old to then go
on sale at 6 or 7 weeks old. Along with the horrendous
mental and emotional scarring that these dogs endure, this
also often results in serious and potentially fatal illnesses.
The next stage which has been announced although the
details are still in consultation, is the implementation of
Lucy's Law. This will hopefully see the total ban of
commercial sales of dogs under the age of 6 months by
third party sellers. If passed, it would be a big step
towards reducing the profit that is currently possible
which, along with continuing to educate people should see
these disgusting places pass into history.
The UK continues to try to understand what the
implications of leaving the EU will be, one of the areas of
concern is the potential shortfall in the numbers of
veterinary professionals. At the moment a substantial
number of vets who register with the RCVS each year have
come from abroad, most of those from EU countries.
Coupled with this, NOAH have said that a 'no-deal'
agreement would mean there are likely to be shortages in
the availability of many veterinary medicines, such as
antibiotics and painkillers. In this event, it is safe to
assume we would be also looking at much higher prices
for these products. With households already experiencing
financial pressures, this could have serious welfare
implications for many dogs.
Notes from the Park Bench
On the whole is is good to see that more and more people
are choosing harnesses over collars, we still need to be
very vocal to ensure that information about the correct
10 Summer 2019 - PDTE Newsletter