Animals will be protected from cruel smugglers under new laws cracking down on the vile low-welfare pet trade.  

Deceitful pet traders will no longer be able to cram vehicles with dozens of pets for sale. The new law will cut the limit to just five pets per vehicle and ensure that pets travelling separately from their owner do so within five days of their owner’s travel.

The Government will also be able to protect vulnerable animals from suffering through lengthy journeys in poor conditions by banning the import of dogs and cats under six months old, those that have been mutilated (such as those that have cropped ears or have been declawed), and those that are heavily pregnant. These measures will be subject to appropriate exemptions. 

Animal Welfare Minister Baroness Hayman said: “This Government pledged in its manifesto to end puppy smuggling, and this Act does exactly that.

“We’re strengthening the rules on pet travel to help ensure that animals imported into the country for sale are healthy, treated with care, and transported humanely.

“This legislation is an important step forward in protecting both pets and prospective pet owners from unnecessary suffering at the hands of heartless traders.”

By making the trade less profitable and easier to detect, we’ll disrupt those who profit from animal suffering and responsible breeders who prioritise welfare will be able to compete on a level playing field. 

Pet owners will have greater confidence that pets available for purchase have not been sourced through illegal or low-welfare routes. This reduces the risk of families facing the emotional and financial burden of caring for pets that have been exposed to such cruelty.   

Liberal Democrat MP Danny Chambers, who introduced the legislation via a Private Members’ Bill said:  “As a vet, I’ve treated many dogs with cruelly cropped ears or docked tails, leaving them physically scarred and emotionally traumatised. Knowing this Bill will help us put a stop to this abuse and have a bigger impact on animal welfare than I could possibly have achieved in a lifetime treating individual animals demonstrates how important this legislation will prove to be.

“Thanks to support from Defra, animal welfare organisations and pet lovers across the country, we got the Animal Welfare Bill through the Commons, through the Lords, and today passed into law.”

The Department will now start work to implement these reforms and deliver the relevant secondary legislation.  

This comes ahead of the Animal Welfare Strategy due to be published this year.