With the launching of a consultation over plans to prohibit sales of puppies and kittens from Pet Shops and other third parties in Wales, Lesley Griffiths, Welsh Government's minister for environment explained that puppies and kittens can either be purchased directly from a breeder, via a third party seller, or from a rescue or rehoming centre.
She said:
“There are concerns commercial third party sales may be associated with poorer welfare conditions compared to when people buy directly from the breeder. This might include the introduction of new and unfamiliar environments and the increased likelihood of multiple journeys. These have the potential of an increased risk of disease.
The vast majority of those buying a new puppy or kitten do so with the best of intentions. However, it is not always immediately apparent to the buyer where their new pet originated, or in what conditions it was raised.
This consultation is an opportunity to gather as much information as possible to enable us to make lasting improvements to the welfare of puppies and kittens bred in Wales. Banning commercial third party sales of puppies and kittens may only be one aspect of this.”
Dave Joyce, CWU’s National Health, Safety & Environment Officer has written to all Branches detailing the Union’s response to the Welsh Government’s consultation document on third party sales (pet shops) of puppies and kittens:
The CWU is the UK’s Number 1 stakeholder in respect of dog attacks and dog control as the organisation’s membership suffers the largest number of dog attacks on its membership with over 3000 dog attacks on Postal Workers a year, across the UK. 850 postal workers in Wales have been attacked by dogs in the last 5 years.
The CWU is pro-dog and is anti-bad dog owner. We are also opposed to uncontrolled and unscrupulous breeding and selling of dogs by bad breeders and sellers and we support the proposal to ban the third party sale of dogs. Dogs should only be available from reputable, licensed, regulated breeders, in order to best maintain the upkeep of high standards of good temperament, socialisation and welfare.
The CWU view is also, we understand, supported by the RSPCA, Cats Protection, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Canine Action UK, C.A.R.I.A.D, the BVA/BSAVA, Dogs Trust, Kennel Club, PDSA, and Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.
There is clear evidence that the sale of puppies and kittens via third parties has the potential to contribute to an increased risk of disease, lack of socialisation and bad temperament.
Behavioural issues and bad temperament in dogs is an obvious concern for the CWU due to the number of dog attacks on our members brought about by the lethal combination of irresponsible owners with bad temperament dogs.
We strongly support the proposal from the Welsh Government to drive out unethical breeding and selling of dogs but the view of the CWU is that this change should be part of a holistic approach to dog ownership and dog control.
The licensing and inspection of anyone breeding or selling puppies must be robust and consistent, backed up by a well-resourced enforcement regime or of local authority Dog Wardens/Inspectors, fully trained in animal welfare.
The Union has welcomed the Wales Government’s introduction of Dog Breeder Licensing and the CWU has recently called upon the Welsh Government to:
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Ban third party dog selling,
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Introduce mandatory ‘Dog Licences’ for all owners,
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Make it compulsory for potential dog owners to purchase a dog license and present it to the breeder when making the purchase with the breeder being required to check and record the licence number against the bill of sale.
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Enforce the Control of Dogs Order 1992 and make it mandatory that the purchaser of a dog should be required to provide a ‘Colour and Tag’ with the owner’s name and address on it, at the time of purchase.
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Introduce Dog Control Notices (DCNs).
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Introduce a system of Fixed Penalty Notices for lower level dog law breaches to help improve dog control.
You can download the full CWU response to the Welsh Government from the Unionsafety E-Library by selecting category 'Dangerous Dogs' and also the Welsh Government's briefing document on the sale of kittens and puppies by Pet Shops.
The consultation on the impact of a ban on third party sales of puppies and kittens in Wales runs until 17 May.
Source: CWU LTB159/19
