Supplementary memorandum from DEFRA on
the sale of unweaned puppies in Pet Shops
1. You have requested advice concerning
the sale of unweaned puppies in pet shops.
2. Our veterinary adviser tells us that
it is unlikely that a pet shop would want to sell unweaned puppies.
Although breeders will hand feed puppies that a dam rejects, or
where the dam has no milk, it is a time consuming job and not
a job that a pet shop owner would want to take on. Our adviser
also understands that some owners do wean puppies as early as
6 weeks although he would not consider this a good practice.
3. Under S1(3)(c) and S1(7) of the Pet Animals
Act 1951 it is an offence for a pet shop to sell a mammal at too
early an age. In addition under the Protection of Animals Act
1911 it is an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal.
We therefore consider that there is already adequate legislation
in place to deal with the type of situation that was mentioned
at Tuesday's session.
4. It is our intention that the legislation
which eventually replaces the 1911 and 1951 Acts will continue
to ban the selling of unweaned puppies and, if necessary, deal
with any weaknesses in the current law.
November 2005
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