Both Brighton MPs have called for a ban on puppy and kitten farming in a debate in Parliament.
Simon Kirby, the Conservative MP for Brighton Kemptown, and Caroline Lucas, the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, spoke during the debate in the House of Commons on Thursday (4 September).
And both offered their support to Brighton vet Marc Abraham’s Pup Aid campaign.
The debate was prompted by a public petition.
Mr Kirby sported a Dogs Trust tie during the debate. He said: “I am a long-time supporter of Pup Aid and I pay tribute to the work carried out by Marc Abraham and many others outside this place to bring the issue of puppy farms to the attention of the House.
“I should declare that I am a lover of both dogs and cats, having a large German pointer, two chihuahuas and a ginger cat called Mango.
Simon Kirby
“Can we imagine what it is like to be a pup born in a filthy and unsanitary puppy farm?
“Can we imagine being separated too early from mum and brothers and sisters to travel to a pet shop hundreds of miles away, sold en masse and treated as a commodity with little regard to our welfare?
“Can we imagine what it is like to be four times more likely to be affected by canine parvovirus?
“Canine parvovirus is a disease that attacks the puppy’s nervous system. It causes vomiting and diarrhoea and can cost thousands of pounds to treat.
“Cats and dogs have no voice. Here today, perhaps, we can give them a voice. Dogs and cats are loving creatures, and they need their parents and siblings to interact with.
“I think that all of us here today can imagine what these terrible things are like.
“Hundreds of thousands of people up and down the country can imagine the horrific conditions and the pain they cause.
“That is why we are here to debate the situation and, I hope, to move nearer to bringing it to an end.
“The reasons for the problems are clear and have been outlined very well by other speakers.
“We should listen to Pup Aid, which has said that everyone should ask, ‘Where’s mum?’ (and) insist on seeing a puppy or kitten interacting with its mother and be aware that the absence of the mother is likely to indicate that the puppy has been bred commercially and is being sold on by a third party.
“We should tackle this important issue as it is supported by the majority of animal charities, welfare organisations and veterinary professionals.
“There is no justification for selling puppies or kittens in retail outlets.
“Puppy buyers, who are often unaware of these issues, need to get wise, asking where puppy farmers sell their pups and being aware that corners are often cut.
“We must urge dog lovers and cat lovers to do their own research before buying and preferably go to a rescue home or a breeder they know and know they can trust.
“We heard earlier that some puppies are separated when as young as four weeks.
“Puppies need a chance to grow and develop into the characters they will be in later life and to learn all they can from their mother and interact with their siblings.
“It is totally unacceptable that they should be separated at that young age.
“As well as the points made by Pup Aid and the requirement to see the mother, we should make sure that local authorities continue to be extremely thorough in their checks on breeding establishments.
“They should not grant licences where breeding establishments even remotely resemble a puppy farm.
“I hope that today we are sending a message to the public to be wise and careful and to think before they shop and sending a message to the government to ask, ‘Can we look again at the legislation?
“‘It’s not good enough for it to lie on the statute book. It has to be used to stop the trade that we see today.’
“Local authorities have their responsibilities as well and they have to make difficult decisions but I would argue that this is an important thing for them to check and keep a grip on.
“I would like us, as a House, to send these clear messages.
“First, we cannot support the sale of puppies and kittens in circumstances where it is not possible for the mother to be with the rest of her litter.
“Secondly, we are aware of the serious and life-threatening animal welfare, public health and financial problems associated with pet shops and retail outlets.
“Thirdly, we confirm that local authorities are already empowered to amend licensing conditions or to ban outright the sale of puppies and kittens in pet shops if they choose to do so.
“And fourthly, we encourage local authorities to tackle this issue using their existing powers.
“Those messages would help animal charities and welfare organisations to put their weight behind a public awareness campaign aimed at better educating owners.
“It is clear that all our constituents want the government to act.
“Let us speak up for the puppies and kittens who have no voice.
“Let us stop this cruel and unnecessary practice and improve animal welfare.
“Let us educate people to think before they buy puppies and kittens, and let us all ask, ‘Where’s mum?’”
Caroline Lucas
Caroline Lucas congratulated “Marc the Vet who comes from my home city of Brighton and Hove and has done so much on this agenda”.
In an early intervention she said: “Local authorities do very good work but they are under enormous pressure in respect of their budgets.
“Does that not make it even more important to ensure that we take national action on the issue?
“The government’s own advice is that people should not buy a pup without seeing the mother.
In her main speech Caroline Lucas said: “I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in this debate, and I offer my congratulations to the honourable member for Stoke-on-Trent South (Robert Flello) on his persistent campaigning for stronger regulation of the sale of puppies and kittens.
“As many honourable members have said, puppy farming is a horrendous business.
“Dogs are kept for their whole lives in often small dark and filthy kennels and they are used essentially as breeding machines.
“They have no chance to express their normal behaviours and many suffer from untreated illnesses.
“Such farms really are factory farms for dogs. We need to grasp the opportunity to put an end to the barbaric practice of puppy and kitten farming once and for all.
“We know that there are some key measures that we could decide to take that would make significant steps towards achieving that.
“That is why I want to add my voice to the many others asking the government to take what steps they can today.
“I add my strong support for the measures set out in the motion and I want to pay my own tribute to someone a number of honourable members have mentioned, who has been a real driving force behind the campaign.
“That is the Pup Aid founder and Brighton-based vet Marc Abraham.
“His contribution to ending puppy farming and to animal welfare more generally is hugely impressive and he has helped to assemble a formidable coalition, about which we have already heard a lot, including Blue Cross, the Dog Rescue Federation, the Dog Advisory Council, the Dogs Trust, the Kennel Club and the RSPCA.
“Added to that, as we know, the latest figure for the number of people who have signed the petition is about 125,000, so the strength of feeling across the country that we should be doing more to act is clear.
“As a rescue dog owner myself – I got that dog from a wonderful RSPCA centre in Brighton – I want to add my voice to those of the many Brighton residents who have taken the time to write to share their concerns about puppy farming and often to share their photographs too.
“I want to mention a vet whom I have been speaking to. It concerned me that she said that in her experience, the problem is actually becoming significantly worse.
“In her view, it will not change without some kind of intervention or regulation.
“My slight concern is that although some honourable members are asking us to examine other issues, which we certainly should, that should not be at the expense of doing what we can here today.
“I completely take on board, for example, what the honourable member for Gainsborough (Sir Edward Leigh) said about animals coming from other jurisdictions or via the internet, which may be a harder nut to crack right now.
“However, that should not mean that we do not act now to take action on pet shops, garden centres and so on.
“I agree that that will not be a panacea or a silver bullet but we can do it relatively straightforwardly.
“We should do it because we can do it and it will make a difference.
“I was speaking about the vet who had raised with me her concerns about pedigree puppy farming in particular, which can result in particularly grim conditions.
“Genetic problems range from serious breathing difficulties to chronic, lifelong skin allergies to crippling joint problems.
“The real concern is that some of those problems, such as obstructive airway syndrome, are seen as normal by those who are willing to put looks and fashion before animal welfare.
“A price tag of more than £1,000 is not uncommon for breeds such as pugs and bulldogs and the inevitable outcome is more breeding to meet more demand.
“That vet explained to me that in some breeds of bulldogs, the majority of bitches cannot give birth naturally and need a caesarean to deliver puppies.
“She explained that she had come across breeders who were so willing to put their dogs under repeat surgeries, so that they could keep breeding them for as long as it was profitable, that they literally bred the dogs to death.
“Of course, some of the responsibility should stop with the consumers who are willing to pay to purchase dogs from puppy farms and bad breeders.
“That is why I welcome the fact that the motion mentions the importance of raising awareness.
“However, I believe that many people are simply not aware of the issue.
“They do not know that if they buy a puppy from a pet shop, it could have come from the type of grim background that we have described, so raising awareness is massively important.
“The role of local authorities is also massively important, and I underline again the importance of ensuring that they are properly resourced to carry out the welfare checks that they have the right to do.
“However, that does not take away from the fact that the government need to act as well.
“The vet that I have been referring to says that she does not believe the problem is ‘likely to go away anytime soon without some kind of intervention or regulation’.
“I believe that there is a case for overwhelming action today. The fact that we cannot do everything does not mean that we should not do anything.
“I very much hope that the government will listen to the strength of feeling throughout the House and the country and swiftly take the measures that are within their power.”