The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs is implementing the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, a comprehensive reform programme to strengthen animal welfare standards, enforcement, and training across England. The pathway includes mandatory proposals, penalty notice frameworks, and provisions for improved consistency in animal welfare officer training and local authority coordination.
Seeking views on proposed new measures to enhance livestock health and welfare for cattle, sheep and pigs in England.
There are significant welfare concerns over the ‘puppy yoga’ trend, which involves the use of underage and potentially unvaccinated puppies in a setting that may be highly detrimental to their health and wellbeing. The Department should work with sector organisations …
Stud dogs should be brought within Licensing of Activities Involving Animals regulations. The inclusion of stud dogs would help give traceability and ensure welfare measures apply to male dogs kept for breeding, who otherwise fall outside the scope of the …
A more consistent approach to training and accreditation for animal welfare officers is needed. Existing variations in training and enforcement puts animal welfare at risk. A central unit of suitably trained inspectors should be established which can be utilised by …