Welsh Assembly backs down on puppy farms

The Welsh Assembly this week concluded that it has neither the resources nor the money to follow through on the proposed legislation to tighten controls on dog breeding, and this bring to an end the practice of puppy farming.
It was always understood that the proposals would require considerable commitment to follow through the immense amount of work which has been done over the last 18 months effectively, and it is believed that the Assembly thought it wise not to put any further regulations on the Statute Book which could not be enforced.
British Veterinary Association President, Harvey Locke, expressed his disappointment by saying that the delay was a real blow for the welfare of many dogs and puppies caught up in the puppy farming racket. The Association had warmly welcomed the moves to tighten up the rules on dog breeding in Wales, and Mr Locke said he was hoping that this Animal Welfare (Breeding of Dogs) (Wales) Regulations 2011 would lead the way within the UK.
In his statement the Minister responsible tried to put a positive spin on the decision. His full statement reads: ´The Welsh Assembly Government is committed to improving the welfare standards of animals and I know there is cross-party support for this. However, my priority is to ensure that we get the legislation right.
‘Whilst we received a wide range of responses there were some clear overall issues, including a general consensus that welfare of dog breeding has a high priority and that irresponsible breeding in so called ‘puppy farms’ should be brought to an end.
‘There are also concerns over whether the legislation as currently drafted is sufficiently targeted to control dog breeding businesses, and that some of the criteria for being licensed were too narrow.
‘There is strong support for micro chipping to become compulsory, but there are issues that need to be clarified such as the impact of compulsory micro chipping in Wales on legitimate trade to England.
‘Given the time needed to ensure the legislation is right, it will not be possible to bring forward the final draft legislation within this government term. We will therefore continue to work in developing the final draft Regulations in preparation for early action by a new government should they wish.
‘I would like to thank all those that gave serious thought to the proposed legislation and made constructive comments and in putted to the consultation.’