If you’re living in the UK and want a kitten or puppy, you’re going to have to visit to an animal shelter, rescue group or directly to a breeder, instead of going to a third-party commercial retailer.
Britain recently banned third-party sales of puppies and kittens to protect the animals from exploitation. The government says the new law will help crack down on “puppy farms” and make it harder for unscrupulous dealers who have little regard for animal welfare.
The ban “is part of our commitment to make sure the nation’s much-loved pets get the right start in life,” Animal Welfare Minister David Rutley said.
The decision follows a public consultation that found support for banning third-party sales, and animal welfare groups have praised the government measure. The change was also endorsed by one of Britain’s best known animal shelters, the Battersea Cat and Dogs Home.
Marc Abraham, a veterinarian who appears on television and is the founder of Pup Aid, called it “a real victory for grassroots campaigners as well as the U.K.’s dogs and cats.”
Abraham went on to say that the law would make breeders more accountable and make it more difficult to sell illegally smuggled puppies and kittens.
The new government measure comes as the RSPCA is asking the British public for information about the identity of a passenger and driver caught on closed circuit TV abandoning a dog despite its pleas to be allowed back into the car.
By: Maytinee Kramer
