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Public Safety
The draft makes provision for licensing of activities involving animals and that any licence could be conditional on public safety considerations rather than an animal welfare purpose. It cannot be assumed that interested parties will not seek to have this modified in their favour. CCC has asked for the relevant paragraphs to be retained.
Entry to Premises
The draft makes proposals for authorised persons to be able to enter premises where they suspect cruelty is taking place. CCC recognises that power of entry is something to be carefully regulated, but regards the draft proposals as about the best that could be achieved as a balance of individual rights and effectiveness of implementation. It would be easy to insist on individual rights to the extent of making the provision unworkable. CCC has asked for the relevant paragraphs to be retained.
Value of an Animal
The draft makes provision for the courts to decide on the method of disposal of an animal in custody and in so doing requires the value of the animal to be taken into account. CCC have requested a modification that would allow courts more freedom in this respect, the reason being that someone with an expensive dog might fare better than someone whose dog had little market value. The value of a dog may well hinge on its exact breed and this could lead to protracted court proceedings.
National Database
Databases for animals already exist and the draft presents various options for using them. CCC has requested that a specific database for dogs be created – preferably a registration database (see below).
Establishment of Registration Database
The draft includes proposals for keeping databases on licences, ‘best practice’ and cruelty offences. These would no doubt prove valuable and with current technology should involve modest cost. However, numerically, by far the greater number of entries are likely to be in the offences category. CCC has proposed the more positive approach of establishing a database for the purpose of including all dogs in a registration scheme on the grounds that the cruelty inherent in abandoning dogs would be greatly reduced.
Breeding establishments
So much attention has been given to “puppy farms”, that it is easy to overlook the many dogs bred by small-scale enthusiasts. CCC has proposed that all dog breeders, large and small, be registered.
Prospects for the Bill
It remains to be seen whether the Government makes the Bill a priority, and whether its opponents will protract its various stages. Unless it reaches Parliament before the next General Election the Bill, as such, will never become law.
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