27/10/2024
It’s a very long post but it is VERY important 🙏
For those who were party to the conversations at the weekend on importing puppies, or even if you weren’t but would be kind enough to help those breeds who need genetic diversity from other countries (which to be honest is many more than you may think!) please read on. Sorry it is lengthy but the actual task has a template to make it easier 😊
Many of the beautiful Kooikers cuddling on our sofas this evening are here because someone with experience and knowledge researched, planned and imported a Kooiker puppy that assisted with breed lines in the UK. At the moment this can happen at 15 weeks, as was the case for both Thistle and Ember (both who passed all health testing and added to the UK gene pool), under the proposed new law puppies will not be permitted to enter the UK until 6 months old. This would mean, if 6 months care could even be arranged with foreign breeders, that a hugely formative part of a Kooikers life has passed before it meets its permanent home. Please take the time to read this post thoroughly 🙏
PUPPY IMPORTS BAN - ACTION NEEDED
It was hoped that the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill would not make an appearance in this Parliamentary session, but unfortunately it has been brought back as a Private Members Bill by Dr Danny Chambers, MP for Wi******er.
We need to act quickly on this as the second reading of the Bill is only weeks away, on 29 November 2024.
The Kennel Club are very supportive of the position for breeds needing foreign genetic input and they have already written to Dr Danny Chambers, the MP introducing the Bill, explaining that whilst broadly supporting the aims of the Bill, a blanket ban could have a devastating effect on breeds which depend on puppy imports to expand the gene pool and maintain the health of breeds in the UK. The aim is not to ask the MP to drop the Bill (that won't happen as it has cross party support so is likely to be passed in some form), but to introduce a tightly controlled mechanism which would allow responsible importers to continue to import puppies to improve and protect the health of our beloved dog breeds.
The Kennel Club has asked Dr Chambers for a meeting as soon as possible to put forward the case, and also requested a second meeting with breeders who rely on the ability to import puppies currently.
We need as many people as possible to email their local constituency MPs 🙏🙏🙏 and copy in Danny Chambers, explaining the position and asking for the mechanism to enable us to continue to import puppies to be introduced.
Please email your MP to ask for the exception set out above. To make this quicker and easier, this is a link to the Campaigns page of the Kennel Club website which includes a draft email which can be sent with a little customisation. Please use the MP letter version.
[https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/about-us/campaigns/puppy-imports/](https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/about-us/campaigns/puppy-imports/)
Here is a a link to find out who your local MP is and how to contact them. [https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP](https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP)
Important! Please copy in:
Danny Chambers [email protected]
and
Lynn Gibbins [email protected]
IT’S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT YOU INCLUDE YOUR FULL ADDRESS AT THE END OF THE EMAIL AS MPS WILL NOT RESPOND TO ANYONE WITHOUT THAT INFORMATION.
If you are happy to speak to your MP at a constituency surgery, that would be great. In particular, someone in Danny Chambers' constituency of Wi******er who would be happy to go to his November surgery and speak to him (hopefully we have someone taking up this task but there is strength in numbers).
Thank you for your taking the time to read this very long post 😘
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