Urgent RSPCA warning over imported dogs
The RSPCA highlighted government statistics that 320,000 pets entered the UK via travel schemes and 44,000 as commercial imports in 2023, warning of 'ticking time bombs' due to inadequate health testing.
There is currently no licensing requirement for animal rescue organisations in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland, contributing to the unregulated import of animals.
A new Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, proposed by Liberal Democrat MP Dr Danny Chambers, has passed the Commons with cross-party support.
The bill aims to reduce non-commercial animal entry, ban the import of puppies and kittens under six months old or heavily pregnant animals, and prohibit the import of mutilated dogs and cats, such as those with docked ears.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
OPI's £30 nail strengthener sells every SIX minutes - now they've dropped a new line of cuticle care that could extend the life of your manicure
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more The nail brand behind the award-winning, twice sold-out Bond-Building Nail Serum has now launched a new cuticle line. And it could help an old mani look brand new. OPI have created Nature Strong Nails & Skin, an eight-piece care line with pro-quality formulas developed by nail scientists. A complete cuticle care regimen, these hydrating products could be the secret to a longer-lasting manicure, and they've struck gold with the Good as Gold Cuticle Serum. OPI Good as Gold Cuticle Serum 7 mL The £15.50 OPI Good as Gold Cuticle Serum could be the secret to help stretch your £30+ manicure for longer. Made with 91.6 per cent natural ingredients, the serum includes glycerin, a moisturising agent, to soften and soothe dry-looking nail beds. You can now get a free cosmetic bag when you buy from the Nature Strong Nails & Skin range with the code MAILGIFT. This deal expires August 21 2025. £15.50 Shop A freshly manicured hand can instantly make you feel more put together, and the secret to helping you get the most out of your mani could lie in cuticle care. The new OPI Good as Gold Cuticle Serum is just one of the products in the brand's Nature Strong Nails & Skin, all designed to help soothe, soften, and hydrate cuticles for your healthiest manicure yet. Developed by nail scientists, the gel serum cuticle pen has been cleverly designed to help moisturise and soften cuticles wherever and whenever you are. If you're manicure is on its last legs, then this could help eek it out for a few more days. No dry cuticles in sight. Cuticle care is often ignored, but did you know it could be the difference between an old and a new-looking manicure? The £15.50 OPI Good as Gold Cuticle Serum could be the secret to help stretch your £30+ manicure for longer. Made with 91.6 per cent natural ingredients, the serum includes glycerin, a moisturising agent, to soften and soothe dry looking nail beds. Where a lot of cuticle oil can be super greasy, this OPI Cuticle Serum is thicker yet easily sinks into the skin so there's no waiting around. The novel pen design means you can effortlessly squeeze onto cuticles and massage in too. Small enough to be tossed in your bag, you can use this to moisturise your cuticles in seconds, giving your nail beds a refresh. And for even more incentive to buy? Shoppers can secure a free cosmetic bag when you buy from the Nature Strong Nails & Skin range. Just add one of the full-size products to your bag and the free gift will be automatically added to your bag with the coupon code MAILGIFT. Offer ends when stock of free gift is exhausted.
The Independent
25 minutes ago
- The Independent
RSPCA warns against imported dogs with disease and behaviour issues impacting UK pet owners
An animal charity has urged stricter regulations for dog imports by UK rescues, citing concerns over disease risks and behavioural issues. Thousands of dogs are brought into the country each year from Eastern Europe and are sold through social media posts and websites without proper assessments. This call follows 2023 government statistics revealing 320,000 pets entered the UK via travel schemes, with 44,000 as commercial imports. RSPCA spokesperson David Bowles likened the process to ' Deliveroo for dogs' and called on the government to tighten regulations on animal rescues. He told the BBC: 'The RSPCA's major concern is these dogs are essentially ticking time bombs – coming over, not being health tested. 'Diseases are now coming in through these dogs. They're affecting not just the dogs that are being imported, they could also affect the dogs already in this country and their owners. 'They've almost set up a Deliveroo for dogs and that is a real problem.' Scientists have also been monitoring a rare disease called Brucalla canis that is transmitted through a dog's reproductive fluids and can affect humans. While in 2020 there were three known positive cases in dogs in the UK, this had risen to 333 by 2024. There is no requirement for rescue organisations to be licensed in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. It comes weeks after a bill that aims to stop animal smuggling and cruelty cleared the Commons with cross-party support. Legislation put forward by Liberal Democrat MP Dr Danny Chambers will reduce the number of animals for non-commercial entry into the UK, ban the import of puppies and kittens under six months old or heavily pregnant dogs and cats, and introduce a halt on the import of dogs and cats who have been 'mutilated', including having their ears docked. The MP for Winchester's Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill was supported by the government, and will now proceed to the House of Lords on its passage to becoming law. Dr Chambers said: 'As a vet, I've seen the devastating consequences of puppy smuggling. It's unimaginably cruel to separate puppies and kittens from their mothers at a very young age, and then bring them across borders in substandard conditions where they're then sold for maximum profit by unscrupulous traders who prioritise profit over welfare.' He added: 'Careful consideration has been given to setting these limits, balancing the need to disrupt illegal trade with minimising impact on genuine pet owners. To underpin this, only an owner, not an authorised person, will be permitted to sign and declare that the movement of a dog or cat is non-commercial.' He criticised the influence of social media on the increased demand for dogs with docked ears, and a party colleague hit out at the platforms' role in publishing animal abuse. He said: 'One reason that there is such an interest in dogs with cropped ears is that a lot of influencers on Instagram and other social media platforms pose with these dogs or show they have these new dogs with cropped ears. Many people aren't aware that this is a mutilation. 'They think it's how the dogs' ears normally look, and it drives a demand for dogs that look like this.'
BBC News
44 minutes ago
- BBC News
Jersey minister calls for health budget to be increased
Jersey's health minister has called for an increase to the island's health funding, after a forecast predicted the department would be £18m over budget for auditor general, Lynn Pamment, said the rapid rise in spending was a cause for concern and said previous money-saving recommendations had yet to be brought Tom Binet, the health minister, wants a 5%-above-inflation budget increase for several years, to keep up with the costs of new treatments and people living said calling the situation an overspend had damaged staff morale and was "very negative", as health had not received enough budget in the past. "It's made life very challenging for the people who are trying to turn around the health service," he said modern science kept on introducing "better drugs [and] better treatment", which cost more said his department was expected to deliver "what it delivered the year before plus whatever else was thrown its way - all of that costs money."
