Stormont urged to tighten up on pet breeding rules

Stormont has been urged to introduce tough regulation around the breeding of pets.

The Northern Ireland Companion Animal Welfare Group (NICAWG) welcomed Agriculture and Environment minister Andrew Muir’s commitment to exploring the available options for introducing Lucy’s Law in the region. This would target the third party sale of kittens and puppies.

However, NICAWG urged that this be just the beginning, and called for new regulations to ensure cruelty-free breeding and propose a public register of legitimate breeders.

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The group, which represents nine leading animal welfare charities including the USPCA, Cats Protection, Dogs Trust, Assisi, Mid Antrim Animal Sanctuary and PDSA, warned there is a rise in large-scale breeding establishments.

They held a drop-in event at Parliament Buildings on Wednesday to talk to MLAs about their concerns. NICAWG chairwoman Nora Smith highlighted the need for better legal protections.

“We need better laws for our companion animals in Northern Ireland,” she said.

“Current laws leave loopholes that enable unethical and illegal dog and cat breeding. We’re also seeing a rise in large-scale legal breeding establishments, which raises questions as to whether the minimum standards of animal welfare can be effectively met.”

NICAWG has also urged the public to adopt pets from rehoming organisations where possible and support responsible breeding practices.

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