Key Facts

• Minette Batters is President of the National Farmers Union.
• Peter Stevenson is chief policy adviser for Compassion in World Farming.
• Rob Taylor is the all-Wales wildlife and rural crime co-ordinator and chair of the livestock priority delivery group.
• The Bill includes a ban on live export for slaughter and fattening but not high-value breeding animals.
• 15,000 sheep are killed annually due to dog attacks in the UK according to SheepWatch UK.
• North Wales police recorded an average of 125 livestock attacks per year leading to many sheep and dogs deaths.
• The current maximum fine for livestock attacks is £1,000.
• There are concerns about a potential loophole in Northern Ireland's protocol regarding animal transport.
• DEFRA has been consulting on changes to reduce journey times and improve conditions for animals.
• The next two Members who wish to speak are James Daly followed by Ben Lake.
• Clause 27(1) allows a constable to seize a dog if they have reasonable grounds to believe it has attacked or worried livestock on agricultural land, roads, or paths.
• Subsection (3) states the owner of the seized dog has seven days to reclaim it.
• The Bill allows for seven-day seizures when the dog owner is unknown.
• Clause 27(8) permits indefinite detention until criminal proceedings are determined or withdrawn.
• Detained dogs are kept in kennels and must be cared for properly during prolonged periods.
• The Bill has five phases for enforcing livestock attacks, ranging from a word of advice to prosecution.
• An attack can cost tens of thousands of pounds for farming businesses.
• The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 includes exempted dogs such as working gun dogs and packs of hounds.
• Several thousand calves per year were being sent from Great Britain to Spain.
• Sheep were also exported to various countries including France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary, and Bulgaria for slaughter.
• In 2020, UK ear-tagged calves were filmed in Spain being loaded onto a ship destined for Libya or Lebanon.
• Most journeys to slaughter are under eight hours, but all should be reduced to this limit.
• Rob Quest is the chairman of the Canine and Feline Sector Group.
• The group supports dogs being on a lead in enclosed fields with cattle for easier enforcement.
• They do not support an exemption for rescue animals under pet travel rules due to issues like false paperwork.
• The number of cats being imported has increased.
• Cat seizures through Heathrow airport have risen over the last two years.
• There is a concern about dogs with cropped ears coming into the UK, particularly from the USA.
• Visual checks are necessary to identify mutilated animals at ports and trains.
• Dogs Trust advises on dog and cat health and welfare issues.
• Dogs in kennels under official control should be kept for the minimum time possible.
• The maximum detention period in authorised quarantine kennels is four months.
• Battersea Dogs and Cats Home is advocating for a limit of three animals per vehicle during pet travel.
• According to Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association figures, 94% of dog owners have two or fewer dogs.
• An estimated 48,000 cats were brought into the UK between the start of the pandemic and May of this year.
• Border control posts due to be operational from January.
• Currently, there are 13 compliant microchipping databases.
• Concerns about exotic diseases such as leishmaniasis and canine brucellosis being brought into the UK through imported animals.
• Mike Webb is head of policy and public affairs at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.
• Justine Shotton is president of the British Veterinary Association.
• The session focuses on livestock worrying provisions and export bans under the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill.
• Concerns about single-kept primates and their welfare implications.
• Licence length should be reduced from six years to four years with inspections every couple of years.
• Rectification time for welfare issues in primates should be reduced from two years to six months.
• Dogs should generally be on leads around livestock.
• Farmers, drivers, and hauliers need veterinary-led training to ensure animal welfare during transport.
• Pre-import testing is needed with results from approved laboratories.
• Tapeworm treatments for cats should be reintroduced and reduced in time before entry.
• The term 'specialist' should be changed to 'expert' for zoo management.
• The number of vets with expertise in treating primates is relatively low, possibly fewer than 50.
• There could be a small number of legitimate keepers involved in breeding programmes for conservation work.
• Clarity on definitions such as the minimum age at which animals can be brought into the country and health checks before importation would strengthen the Bill.
• Mike Flynn is the chief superintendent of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
• Mike Flynn supports UK-wide enforcement of animal welfare laws, especially concerning dog ear cropping and live export bans.
• Concerns are raised about potential loopholes if certain parts of the Bill are not enforced across all nations.
• The Northern Ireland protocol may create problems but is beyond the scope of Mike Flynn's expertise.
• The Scottish animal welfare Act includes penalties for dog attacks on livestock up to 12 months' imprisonment and a £40,000 fine.
• A spaniel was kept in kennels for just under four years due to ongoing legal proceedings.
• Recent changes allow seized animals to be disposed of after a three-week period if legal proceedings are ongoing.
• The cost of keeping 58 dogs in care for 23 months amounted to £440,000.
• Mike Flynn has extensive experience working with all creatures great and small.
• The Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is involved in addressing animal welfare issues.
• Illegal trade of horses potentially involves thousands being exported from the UK to the EU.
• A National Sheep Association survey reported one farm hit up to 100 times in a year.
• North Wales Police recorded about 300 or 400 attacks over three and a half years.
• The FUW's campaign found that 80% of dog attacks occur when owners are not around.
• The current 1953 Act leaves police powerless in dealing with dog attacks on sheep.
• Dr Wright believes repeat offenders are common in dog attacks on sheep.
• Updating signage to reflect legal requirements could deter irresponsible dog ownership.
• The Farmers Union of Wales is mentioned.
• Dr Hazel Wright is a senior policy officer at the Farmers Union of Wales.