| Successful rally against third party sales
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Issue: 03/11/2017
On Monday there was a United Against Puppy Farming Rally at Parliament campaigning against puppy farming and third party puppy sales.
Amongst the groups involved in the protest were Marc Abraham's Pup Aid, CARIAD Campaign (The campaign to end puppy farming), Say No to Pet Shop Pups and Puppy Petition.
The campaigners protested at both Westminster in London and at the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff as part of 36 hours of action for puppy farmed dogs.
A number of Members of Parliament from all sides of the house came outside to give their support to the rally including Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts, Conservative MP Mark Pritchard, Labour MP Sue Hayman and Scottish Nationalists Stewart McDonald and Carol Monaghan. Sir Roger Gale, a member of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation (CAWF), also showed his support to the group and its aims.
Marc Abraham said they want to bring about an, 'urgent ban on third party puppy sellers. It is so important for breeders to be ethical, transparent and accountable. The government must end third party puppy sales.'
MP for The Wrekin in Shropshire, Mr Pritchard, tweeted, 'Two important dog welfare events in Parliament this week #UnitedAgainstPuppyFarming & Puppy smuggling. Welsh govt & UK govt need to do more.'
Last November there was hope for campaigners when the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) committee produced its report on Animal Welfare in England: domestic pets. They called in that report for the government to institute a ban on third party puppy sales.
The government instead decided to adopt a stricter licensing regime and to make pet shops provide information about the puppies they sell with details of the five welfare needs, environment, diet, behaviour, housing and freedom from pain.
When the government ignored the EFRA report Mr Abraham told OUR DOGS, 'This is disappointing. It is bad for the dogs. Any dog lover who understands the system will feel duped. All the reports, all the evidence, has been ignored. It is not fair and it is a missed opportunity. These proposals are nowhere near enough to tackle puppy farming.
'How can they say this is going to stop puppy farming? If anything it legitimises it. These regulations were brought in to Wales and they don't work. The Government has let down the animals.
'In 2017 a ban on third party puppy sales is a no-brainer. It is the government's own advice to make sure you see a puppy with its mother and these proposals contradict that advice.'
The campaigners say they will continue to campaign, educate and lobby parliament to change the lives of dogs for the better.
