Pets (Microchips) Bill

This refers to a legal requirement for vets to scan for microchips before euthanising pets, it would apply to England and Wales, the 2nd reading is due to be held on 31st October 2025

Currently text of the Bill includes:

The Secretary of State must, by regulations, make provision requiring veterinary surgeons in England to take the steps in subsection (2) before euthanising a healthy or treatable pet which has no history or evidence of negative behavioural problems. 

Those steps are— 

(a) to scan the pet for a microchip on first presentation and before any final decision is made on its euthanasia;

(b) if the veterinary surgeon considers it safe to do so, to contact the registered owner and any back-up rescuer of the pet in accordance with information held on the database associated with any such microchip. 

The steps in subsection (2) must be carried out in accordance with any relevant Code of Conduct or guidance issued by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

Full text and updates can be found online here - https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3824

Dog on dog attacks Bill 2024-2026 update

 A Bill to require a person in charge of a dog to take all reasonable steps to ensure that that dog does not fatally injure another dog; and for connected purposes.

The first reading took place on 21st October last year, the second reading is due to take place on 29th May 2026.

This is a Private Members' Bill and was presented to Parliament on Monday 21 October 2024.

The current text can be read here:

https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3798/publications

The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (Amendment) Bill 2024 - 2026

 This is a Private Members Bill sponsored by Sir Christopher Chope MP (Conversative)

The official title text is as follows:

A Bill to provide that, before making any order to designate a type of dog for the purposes of section 1 or 2 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, the Secretary of State must carry out a public consultation and publish a comparative review of data showing the incidences of fatalities resulting from bites of dogs of that type in the last three years.

The 1^st reading in the House of Commons took place on the 21^st October 2024 and the second reading is set for the 27^th March 2026.

The Bill is asking that in future before making any order to designate a type of dog for the purposes of  section 1 or 2 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (before ‘banning’ another breed or type of dog - breed specific legislation) the Secretary of State must carry out a public consultation and publish a comparative review of data showing the incidences of fatalities resulting from bites of dogs of that type in the last three years.

Progress of the Bill can be followed online here - https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3854

The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill

The Bill has moved through the House of Commons and is due a second reading in the House of Lords on 5^th September 2025

Full details of the Bill can be found here - https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3821

Explanatory Notes have been provided by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA):

The Bill addresses the serious issue of livestock worrying in England and Wales.

The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 deals with dogs that chase or attack livestock in England, Wales, and Scotland (known as livestock worrying).

The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill includes provisions to deliver a number of amendments to the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 ("the 1953 Act") to improve enforcement in response to incidents of livestock worrying by dogs. 

The Bill does so by extending the powers available to the police to obtain evidence of an offence under section 1 of the 1953 Act. 

The Bill extends the offence in section 1 of the 1953 Act to include roads and paths and expands the scope of livestock currently afforded protection to include camelids. 

It also increases the maximum penalty in relation to the offence in section 1 of the 1953 Act from a fine of £1,000 to an unlimited fine.

YouGov UK Poll published

 

Recent Poll results published:

The YouGov Survey Results Sample Size: 2243 Adults in GB 

Fieldwork: 28th - 29th April 2025 - the full results are online here -https://yougov.co.uk/society/articles/52664-most-britons-are-in-favour-of-dog-licences

85% of Britons think there should be some form of dog licence, with 54% believing it should be a requirement for owning any breed.

54% believe you should require a licence to own a dog of any breed as a pet, alongside a further 31% who believe that you should require a licence to own dogs belonging to certain breeds as a pet.

8% of the public think you should not require a licence to own a dog of any breed as a pet.

Among dog owners, 45% thought there should be a blanket dog licence, with 38% supporting one for certain breeds.

Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats & Ferrets) Bill progresses

The Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill has now passed its 3rd reading in the House of Commons on the 4th July and been passed up to the House of Lords where the first reading has taken place - a formality which signals the beginning of the Bill through the Lords.

The second reading of the Bill is due to take place on 5th September, this is a general debate on all parts of the Bill.

A copy of the Bill, as amended, can be found here: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3790/publications

The Bill aims to help end puppy smuggling, to ban imports of animals with mutilations and to reduce the risk of some diseases being imported.

#PuppySmugglingBill #flopdontcrop

Overview of the Bill:

The Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill makes provision to restrict the commercial importation and non-commercial movement of dogs, cats and ferrets into the United Kingdom from third countries on grounds of animal welfare. 

The Bill introduces an enabling power to address the problem of low-welfare imports of dogs, cats and ferrets into the United Kingdom. 

The power must be used to prohibit the bringing into Great Britain of puppies and kittens under six months and dogs and cats that are mutilated or heavily pregnant. 

The Bill also seeks to address the current issue of commercial imports being disguised as non commercial movements by amending the rules that govern the non-commercial movement of dogs, cats and ferrets into Great Britain from third countries.  

Animal Shelters (Licensing) Bill Introduced:

 

This is a Private Members' Bill A Bill to make provision for the licensing of animal shelters; the First reading was on the 11^th June 2025.

The Bill is sponsored by conservative MP Richard Holden and the Second Reading is due to take place on the 4^th July

The new law would require animal shelters in England and Wales to obtain licences.

Progress can be followed online here - https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3985