Dr Neil Hudson MP – the only vet elected to Parliament since 1884 – had two major steps forward this week in his quest to improve the lives of animals across the nation following a distressing rise in animal health and welfare issues since the pandemic.
Firstly, Dr Hudson took part in the final evidence session in the Pet Welfare and Abuse Inquiry that he triggered – covering a range of issues from infectious animal disease outbreaks to puppy smuggling – and secondly, he spoke in a debate on the upcoming American XL bully dog ban, protecting the nation after a spate of high-profile attacks.
The final Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee session saw MPs quiz DEFRA Minister, Lord Benyon, and Marc Casale, the Deputy Director for Animal Welfare for the Department. Tragically since the pandemic a host of pet welfare issues have been exacerbated significantly. This includes an increase in puppy and heavily pregnant dog smuggling; more unregulated canine fertility clinics, and pet mutilation such as declawed cats and dogs with cropped ears.
Dr Hudson focused his questioning on puppy yoga where underage and unvaccinated dogs are subjected to long hours of overstimulation sometimes without recourse to water, rest or the care of their mother.
He also mentioned the biosecurity implications of importing animals without proper health checks, the rise of unregulated canine fertility clinics which can see people conducting significant procedures on animals without any veterinary qualifications, and his support for further legislation to clamp down on unscrupulous animal smugglers bringing in underage or heavily pregnant dogs and the illegal exporting of horses for slaughter.
The veterinary MP then moved onto the Prime Minister’s proposed American XL Bully ban which was prompted by recent high-profile attacks perpetrated by the animals which left adults and children with life-altering injuries – and in some cases caused fatalities.
This issue was also the focus of a House of Commons debate on Monday (27th November) triggered by petitions on both side of the debate with huge numbers of signatures nationally.
Dr Hudson has been resolute in his support for the ban in the interest of public safety and the safety of other animals. You can read the rationale for Dr Hudson’s support of the ban here.
Dr Neil Hudson MP said:
“While I’m the only vet in the House of Commons, I’m by no means alone in my love for animals. I know I speak for the entire nation when I say that improving the lives of animals in the UK is a great priority for the British people.
“Tragically we’ve seen a spike in truly shocking human-triggered animal welfare issues since the pandemic such as increases in puppy farms, the smuggling of underage or heavily pregnant dogs, and the mutilation of animals by horrific practices such as ear cropping in dogs.
“Our task now is to collate our findings into a comprehensive report with recommendations to support DEFRA and our Conservative Government in improving animal health and welfare."
