This week, new legislation to end puppy and kitten farming was introduced in Parliament. Known as ‘Lucy’s Law’, it will ban the sale of kittens and puppies from third parties from spring 2020, making buyers deal with breeders directly. This means that people can see first-hand that their new pet is healthy and has come from a responsible breeder.
The law is named after Lucy, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who died in 2016 after being subjected to terrible conditions on a Welsh puppy farm. Dogs like Lucy are often kept by breeders to produce multiple litters of puppies, which are separated from their mothers at just a few weeks’ old and advertised online or sold in pet shops.
This practice causes lifelong socialisation issues for the puppy or kitten, as well as a number of preventable diseases.
As the proud owner of two rescue Labradors, I’m very pleased to support this new legislation because it will help protect the health and welfare of dogs and cats across the country.
Recently, I had the great pleasure of attending the Forest of Dean Dog Rescue coffee morning at the West Dean Centre in Bream with my Labradors, Chase and Sophie. We also took part in a group photo for their 2020 fundraising calendar.
Forest of Dean Dog Rescue is an excellent local charity. The charity is run by a small group of dedicated trustees. The charity do not keep their dogs in kennels or shelters, all dogs are housed in homes around the Forest of Dean where they are lovingly cared for and their individual needs are met. The benefit of this is that the volunteer carers get to know the needs and temperaments of the dogs, so they are best placed to match the animals to new owners. They are supported entirely by volunteers and financed by local donations and fund raising activities.