A Labour MP has demanded tough new laws to clampdown on "horrible and vicious" backstreet clinics breeding designer dogs with an array of health problems because they look cute.
Barry Gardiner told The Mirror he is appalled at the rising number of facilities where unqualified staff carry out procedures such as caesarian sections and artificial inseminations, charging customers thousands of pounds. Animal charities have voiced their alarm over clinics breeding "fashionable" dogs with flat faces, cropped ears and docked tails.
Mr Gardiner said many of the dogs live their life in "extreme distress" because of the way they've been bred, and experts say many bulldogs and pugs have to be euthanised as a result. The MP, who has owned dogs most of his life, told The Mirror after hearing harrowing evidence on the trend: "It's vicious and horrible and people don't realise what's happening in what should be a nice part of their lives, looking after an animal. They're buying these designer dogs and they've got no idea what the poor animals have been through.
"There's a real spotlight that needs to be shone on this. These are places where people who aren't licenced as vets are carrying out procedures that they shouldn't be carrying out. People don't understand the mutilation that these dogs have suffered."
MPs heard that clinics staffed by "lay people" with no vet training often charge tens of thousands of pounds for designer Frankenstein dogs. Animal rights groups have called for tougher regulations and bigger fines to stop criminals breeding animals such as bulldogs which can't breathe, eat or sleep properly.
They were told that even if people are caught carrying out medical work on dogs - such as caesarean sections and artificial inseminations - they can be fined just £100. Mr Gardiner said many are unaware of the cruelty involved, saying: "When you see a dog with a squashed face that finds it difficult to breathe, that isn't a cute dog, that's a dog in extreme distress because it's been bred that way. That's what's really disgusting."
He is a member of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, which is carrying out an investigation into designer dogs and pet abuse.
Last week members of the cross-party committee were told breeding of puppies in this manner is "ethically abhorrent" and shouldn't be tolerated. Before lockdown, MPs heard, there were less than 40 canine fertility clinics known to exist in the UK, but now the number has passed 400.
Sarah Carr, chief executive of the Naturewatch Foundation, said that low fines were no deterrent, stating: "In terms of canine fertility clinics where they are lay people the maximum fine for conviction is £100. There's no incentive not to do it if you think about a clinic who's performing caesarean sections and how much money they're bringing in."
Dr Justine Shotton, senior vice president of the British Veterinary Association, said: "We've seen some really hard images of dogs that were bred with severely deformed limbs to the point where they had to be euthanised at a very early age."
She added: "People are so highly influenced by the trends and not thinking about the animal's welfare."
And Sean Wensley, senior vet at charity PDSA, said: "For this to be undertaken purely for human self interest, human gain, human vanity is ethically abhorrent, it shouldn't be tolerated at all in the UK."
A Defra spokesperson said: “We are concerned that the number of establishments offering canine fertility related services appears to have grown in recent years. We are clear that medical procedures performed on animals or pets should only be undertaken by authorised veterinary professionals. If members of the public have any animal welfare concerns, they should report it to the relevant authorities to investigate.”
The Government is currently considering changes to the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 and weighing up changes to licencing regimes. Local councils are responsible for enforcing existing dog breeding laws.
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