Demand Change in UK Dog Laws To Better Protect Dogs from Backstreet Breeding/BSL and Abandonment

This petition calls for changes in UK dog laws to address the following issues:

1)Breeding and responsibilities

2)Breed specific legislation

3)Dog passports/licences

1) Breeding: Backstreet breeding and the importing of animals from other countries are a big problem in the UK. Many people see these as an easy way to make a quick profit yet care little about what happens to the animals once they have been sold. Many dogs end up in rescue centers and thousands are put to sleep each month because they are abandoned and do not have a home.

Because of this, laws should be passed so that dog breeders must have licences. To be able to get a licence, payment and adherence to certain responsibilities that many good breeders already follow -- such as ensuring the animal's health and fully vaccinating, fleaing, deworming and microchipping puppies before they go to a new home -- must be required. Breeders must make sure that puppies are going to suitable homes and must provide rescue space for at least one other dog (who can either be a puppy that has been returned or a different dog). This rescued dog must not be used for breeding and should be spayed/neutered. Potential adopters will need to be made aware of the dog's rescue status.

It is the case that pet dogs can become pregnant despite the breeders' precautions. if a spay/abortion is no longer an option, the dog owner can either apply for a temporary breeding licence or can enlist the help of a charity who will cover cost of animal health and re-homing and can take an appropriate re-homing fee for doing this. Charities will be exempt from holding breeder licences.

2) Breed Specific Legislation (BSL): BSL laws have been very unpopular since they have arisen with many people having had their much loved pets taken away and destroyed because of certain characteristics. But a BSL law is not so much about a "breed" as it is about a "type" of dog. It is a very unfair law as many hundreds of innocent dogs are destroyed each year. Tighter laws (and tighter penalties) regarding responsible breeding would outrule the need for BSL laws.

3) Dog passports/licenses. it is already the case that all dogs will need to be microchipped and required to must wear tags in public. Such a policy may be more effective and protect dogs and puppies more if all dogs are also registered with a vet, are fully vaccinated and carry a pet passport/or vaccination details. If people wish to own dogs they must be prepared to keep them fully vaccinated against diseases like parvo, which sadly take many dogs' lives and is currently rife in the UK. The only way to stop deceases like this is to vaccinate; the vaccination is the reason the UK has stayed rabies free.

Dog ownership is not something to be taken lightly. If purchasing a dog wasn't made so easy maybe fewer responsible people will think about getting a dog on a whim..