Ashley Fox, MP for Burnham-On-Sea and Bridgwater, has pledged his support on the issue of puppy smuggling this week at a parliamentary event run by the UK’s leading dog welfare charity.
The event, overseen by the Dogs Trust, took place in the House of Commons to encourage members of parliament to back the charity’s calls to tackle the cruel puppy smuggling trade.
The cruel trade sees dogs travelling in abhorrent conditions into the UK solely for profit, often in filthy conditions without food and water and often suffering from diseases.
Ashley Fox MP spoke to the Dogs Trust about the charity’s pioneering Puppy Pilot scheme, which was introduced in 2015 to aid the interception of illegally imported puppies and provide care and rehabilitation for them until they find loving new homes.
Ashley says: “We must prioritise the health and welfare of dogs, so I am delighted to support Dogs Trust in their mission to end this cruel puppy smuggling practice.”
Owen Sharp, CEO of Dogs Trust, added: “We are delighted to have had the opportunity to raise awareness of puppy smuggling with MPs and speak to them about how loopholes in legislation allow this awful trade to continue.”
“At Dogs Trust we have been campaigning for over a decade to end the suffering of countless number of dogs, and we hope that with the support of MPs from across parliament, we can finally end puppy smuggling and take a real step forward for dog welfare in the UK.”
To find out more about Dogs Trust’s work see www.dogstrust.org.uk/puppysmuggling.
