Don’t blame pet shops for puppy farm problems, says leading industry figure
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 Traditional pet shops have been wrongly tarnished during the debate on puppy farming, and any ban on the sale of puppies would only make matters worse. That’s the view of Nigel Baker, chief executive of the Pet Industry Federation, who told Pet Trade Xtra: “The only way to stop the ‘puppy farm’ and ‘imports’ from Central Europe and Ireland is for the UK to have large scale, properly regulated, puppy breeders.
“The demand for puppies (circa 800,000 a year) won’t stop, and any ban will certainly drive the puppy traders underground as has been seen in the USA and Austria where bans have been trialed.
“In Austria, the ban on pet shops selling puppies was lifted after three years because the situation got so bad. More robust and better enforced regulations are needed, and these changes should be seen in the new licensing regulations.
“Anyone who sells a pet needs a pet shop licence (Pet Animals Act 1951). It does not follow that all traditional pet shops sell puppies! In fact less than 30 in the UK now do.
“However, there are over 80 pet vending licences issued for businesses that sell puppies. These are re-sellers of animals that are predominantly carrying on a business from their homes; they are not open and transparent for the public to visit, unlike traditional pet shops.
“Traditional pet shops have been tarnished with the ‘puppy brush’ for too long. Currently it is legal for a business (traditional pet shop or not) to obtain a pet shop licence to sell puppies. The new 2018 licensing regulations should tighten this up.”
In his interview with Pet Trade Xtra, Nigel also answered questions on the state of the pet industry and what he felt were the main challenges facing the trade.
How would you describe the state of the UK pet industry today?
We are seeing growth in the pet industry of circa 2% on pet foods, and a 13% growth over the last 5 years in accessories. Services such as grooming, dog walking etc continue to see very high growth rates.
What are the main challenges/threats facing the trade?
Brexit is probably the largest challenge as we import a lot of pet food ingredients and accessories and the pound has already significantly dropped against the Euro and Dollar. Expect to see more increases!
Where do the main opportunities for pet businesses lie?
Specialisation – pet shops should sell pets as a point of difference. Pet services are a large opportunity to add to retail or set up as standalone businesses. New products are the lifeblood of any business and visits to the trade shows both in the UK and oversees must be encouraged.
What would you like to see happen from the Brexit negotiations?
I think all manufacturers and retailers want to see some price stabilisation and no large barriers to trade across Europe. We already export a lot of pet products to the EU and these significantly help UK businesses amortise their overheads. Tariffs and custom barriers would be detrimental to UK businesses and there are no other western type markets in easy reach of the UK which UK suppliers could divert business too.
Do you think UK companies produce some of the best pet products in the world?
Yes we do, and we should do more, but we import many fad ingredients (rice, sweet potato etc) instead of using what we grow here. Most of the accessories we sell in the UK also come from the Far East. We are great inventors and traders but not so good at manufacturing (although there are some excellent manufacturers too)!
How much does European legislation currently effect the UK pet industry?
Our animal welfare legislation is similar to the EU and will continue post-Brexit to maintain parity with Europe – hopefully the big change will come on Pet Passports and better border controls to stop the illegal imports of puppies. Unfortunately, devolution has not helped as we are already seeing differences in legislation in Scotland, for example with Primary Authority partnerships, where most aren’t recognised in Scotland. The new 2018 Licensing Regulations will only be recognised in England and Wales which will cause issues for corporates with cross border outlets.
Do you think animal welfare standards are improving in this country?
We are a nation of animal lovers and on the whole we look after our pets very well. The majority of owners do not set out to be cruel to pets. It is estimated that under 1% of UK dogs actually need rehoming. The difficulty is extracting the true data from the welfare charities!
How are bodies like PIF influencing decision-making at Government level when it comes to animal-welfare and pet related matters?
PIF is actively involved with the new licensing regulations that come out next year and we sit on the DEFRA expert panel on this subject. We are also on the committee for writing Model Licence Conditions; PAAG (Pet Advertising Advisory Group) which looks at internet sales; Canine and Feline Sector Council (CFSG); the European Pet Organisation (EPO) – a collective of European Trade Association;, and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Animal Welfare (APGAW) as well as other committees. We represent the pet industry on these groups and set out to be the voice of reason amongst the welfare organisations.
Does the pet industry as a whole do enough to educate the public about responsible pet ownership?
The main issues about this are threefold. The wealthier charities could and should divert more funds to education; there should be better verbal information from trained staff when an animal is purchased (retail, breeder, rehoming centre) and there should be one central repository for animal care information which I am pleased to say that The Pet Charity is now undertaking through their pet portal (www.thepetcharity.org.uk). There should be more information pre-purchase about the cost, lifespan and welfare needs of acquiring an animal. Both PIF and The Pet Charity are very involved with education and information transfer to new pet owners.
Is there enough collaboration between the various trade bodies?
PIF already collaborates with OATA , REPTA and PFMA on a number of projects. The days of not working together to represent the pet industry are over and I believe we all have a much better understanding of the roles of each organisation and are working as one unified voice.
Have you achieved as much as you’d hoped since taking over at PIF?
Yes and no! I have been CEO for 4 years – membership has increased by 40% and members get more than ever before for their membership, we have increased our education offering with both the qualifications we offer as well as with our joint venture with Hadlow College dog grooming school which this year has seen over 160 students register for courses. We are opening another school with Hadlow in Greenwich in September; the annual PIF Forum and Awards has grown to over 250 people attending the Awards Dinner, and we represent the industry with government and local authorities to ensure that the pet industry is listened to. Whilst we have no doubt achieved much, there is always more to do!
Are you currently working on any exciting initiatives?
Up to now, PIF has largely been trade facing in the work it does. However, we recognise that as our members pay a membership fee, agree to our code of conduct and dispute resolution process, PIF should represent them as “stand out” businesses to the public. My Pet People (www.mypetpeople.co.uk) is our new public facing website which will launch in May where members can get a free listing on the site and the public can use it as the trusted place to go for pet businesses. We have received lots of support for this project and are looking forward to it coming to fruition. We are also working on the Greenwich Grooming School and working with The Pet Charity on the new “National Reptile Welfare Centre” which is a collaboration between industry, charity and education to rehome and discover how we can help prevent issues arising in this sector.
How will you celebrate PIF’s 70th anniversary this year?
We are planning some celebrations which will start over summer and culminate at the PIF Awards Dinner at Whittlebury Park, near Silverstone on November 29th.
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