New legislation to end puppy and kitten farming in Britain moved a stage closer on Monday after a new law was laid in the House of Commons by British Environment Secretary Michael Gove.
Known as Lucy’s Law, it will mean puppies and kittens will no longer be allowed to be sold in pet shops or by commercial dealers unless they have bred the animal themselves.
Instead, anyone looking to buy or adopt a puppy or kitten under six months must either deal directly with the breeder or an animal re-homing center.
The new law is named after Lucy, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who died in 2016 after being subjected to terrible conditions on a puppy farm in Wales, said the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Defra said dogs like Lucy are often kept by breeders to produce multiple litters of puppies, which are taken from their mothers at just a few weeks’ old and advertised online or sold in pet shops.
“This practice causes lifelong socialization issues for the puppy or kitten, as well as a number of preventable diseases.
“Today’s legislation will ensure puppies and kittens are born and reared in a safe environment, with their mother, and sold from their place of birth,” said a Defra spokesperson.
The ban will also deter puppy smugglers who bring underage puppies into Britain which are then sold on for financial gain.
Gove said: “This is about making sure no other animal suffers the same fate as Lucy. It will put an end to the early separation of puppies and kittens from their mothers, as well as the terrible conditions in which some of these animals are bred.”
