Memorandum submitted by The Kennel Club
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Kennel Club was called upon to give
oral evidence to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA)
Select Committee during its inquiry into the draft Animal Welfare
Bill at which the Kennel Club emphasised to the Committee its
concerns that:
— Electric Shock Collars had not been
outlawed on the face of the draft Bill (mainly due to the vested
commercial interest in them).
— Annex G of the draft Regulatory Impact
Assessment (RIA) proposed to ban or restrict the docking of dog's
tails.
— The draft Bill failed to place a
requirement on Animal Welfare Inspectors to achieve a national,
minimum qualification.
— The sale of puppies in pet shops
had not been outlawed.
— The draft Bill failed to amend the
ineffective Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
1.2 The Kennel Club was grateful that the
Committee took up its concerns—especially those relating
to electric shock collars, the qualifications of animal welfare
inspectors and the sale of puppies in pet shops.
2. CURRENT CONCERNS
WITH THE
FINAL BILL
The Kennel Club appreciates that this inquiry
will be brief, focusing on the differences between the current
version of the Bill and that which formed the basis of the Committee's
comprehensive Report. As a result, the Kennel Club's comments
and questions have been confined accordingly.
2.1 The Kennel Club would encourage the
Committee to ask why the Government did not address its concern
that the requirements to provide advice to new pet owners did
not extend beyond pet shops and dog breeding establishments to
other vendors of pet animals such as those sold at pet fairs and
other types of breeding establishment in its final publication
of the Bill.
2.2 The Kennel Club would encourage the
Committee to ask why the Government did not address its concerns,
that the Bill did not specify the appropriate categories of person
or "characteristics" of persons who may be appointed
to the role of inspector ie a national, minimum qualification,
in its final publication.
2.3 With regards to tail docking, the Kennel
Club welcomes the final RIA which does not include the proposal
to ban or restrict the docking of dogs tails and also paragraph
15 of the final RIA in which the Government states "sincere
views were held by those who both support and oppose a ban on
cosmetic docking and our view is there should continue to be freedom
of choice".
2.4 The Kennel Club would continue to emphasise
to those seeking amendments in relation to tail docking that legislation
should not be introduced in the absence of independent research
proving tail docking to be a welfare issue. Without this, the
Kennel Club continues to highlight its pro-choice position on
tail docking ie it should be up to the individual breeder to decide
whether to dock their puppies' tails (providing this is performed
by a veterinary surgeon within the first few days of a puppy's
life—before the eyes are open), given that Kennel Club breed
standards now provide descriptions for traditionally docked breeds
with tails.
The Kennel Club would like to thank the EFRA
Committee for looking once again at the Animal Welfare Bill and
for inviting comments from interested parties.
November 2005
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