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September 6th, 2022, will see HM The Queen, invite Liz Truss MP to form a new Government following her successful election by Conservative members, to become the next leader of the Conservative party.
We anticipate that top of the Governments’ agenda will be the much-publicised increases in energy costs and inflation.
Whilst we understand the urgency of the energy concerns, we urge the Government not to side-line previous important Government proposals, specifically on animal welfare.
With much publicity the Government introduced the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill as part of its Action For Animals plan in June 2021.
This extensive Bill includes, amongst other improvements, closing the import loophole, behind which, those involved in ear cropping hide.
The Bill has been sat waiting for sufficient parliamentary time to be allocated to it, so it can progress and has been carried forward twice.
We ask for your help and invite you to contact your MP, by email, letter or in person, to ask them to ensure that the new Government will deliver this much needed Bill.
Every day that this Bill sits stagnant means that the very animals it aims to protect, continue to be at risk and suffer.
We have drafted a template letter for you to use or adapt.
#FlopNotCrop
#PetTheftReform
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Monday February 14th, 2022
Since our last update, the concerns about the loophole permitting the import of cropped dogs has been heard by the Government and, we are delighted to confirm, is now included in the Government driven extensive Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament.
We were delighted to see the concerns that the ability to import cropped dogs raised when the Bill was debated at the Committee Stage on 9th November 2021. The Committee recognised that the permission for imports is in direct conflict to our domestic legislation on cropped dogs. Further, Victoria Prentice MP, Minister for DEFRA, confirmed that this conflict will not be tolerated to provide an excuse for, what is acknowledged in domestic legislation, as an illegal mutilation.
The Committee are now to prepare and submit their report to the House of Commons on their proposals regarding the Bill and any concerns that have emerged through the Committee.
The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill is wide reaching, of which the import of cropped dogs is a small part. As a result, there have been discussions and negotiations about several other concerns that have emerged. We understand that these concerns have now been considered and agreements on understanding and approach have been agreed to enable to Committee to submit it’s report.
The submission of the Report will trigger a need for the 3rd Reading of the Bill. We are quietly confident that the Bill will now be able to complete its final stages through the initial House of Commons process unopposed.
Parliament rose for recess on 10th February and is due to return on 21st February. We await the announcement of a date for the Report and 3rd Reading so that the Bill can go forward to the House of Lords.
When the Government issued their commitment to the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill, they aimed to complete this Bill within the current Parliamentary session. We are therefore looking forward to a date for the presentation of the Committee’s report and 3rd Reading soon.
Should the current Parliamentary session complete unhindered, the unconfirmed date for summer recess is 21st July 2022.
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Thursday 20th May 2021
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The Petitions Committee have announced a date for our campaign #CutTheCrop #FlopNotCrop to be debated, it is set for Monday 7th June, please contact your MP and ask for their support! See our template letter for ideas and thank you all again for your support.
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Sunday 16th May 2021
We passed the first milestones -
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Only 7 weeks after re-launching the #FlopNotCrop #CutTheCrop petition, we, along with our co-collaborators, were delighted to see the petition achieve the magical 100,000 signatures in such a brief period.
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The significance of this milestone is that it means the petition can be put before the Petitions Committee to consider for debate in Parliament.
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Whilst we all understood and were aware of the depth of vocal support for the campaign objective, to see the petition click over so rapidly before our eyes, was so encouraging and heart-warming, we are so grateful for the support we and the campaign have received to date.
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On achieving the 10k signatures, the response from the Government confirmed our understanding that they are not only aware of the concerns but are also actively looking into a route to address them.
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Our co-collaborators, the SSPCA, released their manifesto on 8th March which includes the ban of imports of cropped dogs and we are delighted to see the SSPCA driving the call for a ban in Scotland. A drive we, and the collaboration wholly support.
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During the Queen’s Speech on 11th May 2021, the Government confirmed their intention to bring forward three significant Bills to improve animal welfare standards in England. As Scotland and Wales are devolved powers they have jurisdiction over their own laws concerning animal welfare. Our conversations with stakeholders in those devolved areas confirm that they agree with the campaign aims and so our campaign, is truly speaking with one collective voice when we call for a ban on imports of cropped dogs.
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It was with great interest that we read the Governments briefing notes to the Queen’s Speech and the Action Plan for Animal Welfare, published on 12th May 2021. We were even more delighted to see Lord Goldsmith introduce the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill to the House of Lords for its First Reading. This is the first of three Government Bills that are proposed for this parliamentary year and this significant Bill will underpin future Government policy.
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The further two proposed Bills are divided into matters concerning animals at home and animals abroad. It is the latter Bill which we anticipate will include the ban on the import of cropped dogs. As with any legislative changes or introductions, there is much work to do. There are ongoing discussions and considerations to be had and a few concerns to be ironed out to ensure that the legislation is robust and enforceable.
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Along with our co-collaborators, we are looking forward to contributing to the discussions and debate. For the debate to have real traction though we ask that you contact your MP and explain to them the issues surrounding ear cropping and ask them for their support when this matter comes before the House. Whilst we are not great fans of template letters to MPs, we have been asked to create one, so please do feel free to use the template. Equally, if you would prefer to send a more bespoke letter and would like some guidance, please do get in touch with us and we will gladly help.
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All that remains for us to say is yet another sincere “thank you” to each of you, not only those who have signed the petition but also to those who have raised awareness and gathered support for the campaign so far. We have a long way to go but we truly believe at FOAL that education underpins a lot of animal welfare issues. Whilst welfare concerns remain unexposed, the abuse and suffering continue. Together, we can, will and have made a difference.
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24th February 2021
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The new petition is LIVE!!! Here is the link - https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/574305.
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The initial #FlopNotCrop petition closed on 6th February 2021 having gained 45,160 signatures.
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What do you see when you look at puppy pictures? A bundle of clumsy, cute fluff, with big brown eyes? Maybe those cute little pink puppy paws and stubby little tail? Or is it those uncontrollable, velvet like ears? Imagine looking at those puppy images with a different perspective, imagine looking at those puppies thinking how do I make them look perfect and suit my public image?
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One of the most common and disturbing fashion trends is ear cropping. There is absolutely no medical reason to crop a dog’s ears. This painful procedure is driven entirely by the desire of an owner to create or maintain a certain image.
Ear cropping, as a procedure, is unlawful in the UK. What is not illegal is the importing of dogs with cropped ears. This would include transporting a UK puppy to a country where ear cropping is lawful and then returning it back to its home. Some people will actually transport a puppy to a country where it is also illegal to crop ears, this further compounds the problem because once the puppy returns to the UK the police in that country can’t prosecute the offence.
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There is a reason ear cropping was banned in the UK, the procedure is totally unjustified. It is not a medical need for the dog and it is certainly not done in the interests of their welfare.
When Jordan Shelley approached us and asked us to support his campaign, we did not hesitate.
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Jordan is a dog trainer and animal welfare campaigner, his words "This cruel and barbaric procedure has been outlawed in England since 1899, it's time to close this 121 year old legal loophole."
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