Sir Gavin Williamson has joined Dogs Trust in parliament to lend his support to a bill that will tackle puppy smuggling.
Sir Gavin has continued his work with Dogs Trust, a charity which he has previously collaborated with to protect animal welfare. Sir Gavin will be supporting the new bill, put forward by North Devon MP Selaine Saxby, which will introduce tougher penalties for puppy smuggling to deter illegal traders.
Since 2014, Dogs Trust have been exposing abuses of the Pet Travel Scheme which is exploited by illegal puppy sellers. They have managed to intercept 3,131 illegally imported puppies which would have contributed over £4.5 million to the illegal puppy trade. The new Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill will introduce measures that will obstruct the importation of puppies which are underage, unvaccinated, and kept in poor welfare conditions.
Sir Gavin said: “I’m pleased to work with Dogs Trust once again in Parliament, especially on the issue of puppy smuggling. The illegal puppy trade undermines the animal welfare protections we have in the UK, and I’ll continue to support initiatives to tackle it. I’ll be backing the new bill to ensure that fewer animals are treated so poorly.”
