Written evidence submitted to Commons Select Committee Animal Welfare Inquiry

• While it is believed that the Animal Welfare Act is a valuable document, enforcement of its remits need to be strengthened • A range of recommendations are made focusing on the following areas: • The effectiveness of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 with regard to domestic pets • Regulation surrounding the sale of domestic pets, including online sales and advertising • Enforcement of current animal welfare legislation, including prosecution of offences by the police, local authorities, the RSPCA and others • Recommendations include • Introduction of an effective licensing system (for breeders and dog owners) • Bans on selling and advertising dogs on the internet • Community education events for dog owners • Introduction of a competitive system to decide on the authorised animal welfare enforcement agency • Greater investment in ground services such as number of inspectors