UK Government Unveils Comprehensive Animal Welfare Strategy
The UK government plans to publish a new animal welfare strategy aiming to end practices such as puppy farming and possibly ban electric shock dog collars, with the final delivery expected by the end of 2030.
The strategy also includes a proposal to ban trail hunting in the countryside, with a consultation on this ban planned for the New Year. The RSPCA has welcomed the proposed ban on puppy farming, expressing that legislation should be drafted next year and emphasizing the need for safeguards to prevent loopholes.
However, the Countryside Alliance has condemned the trail hunting ban as unnecessary, with Tim Bonner describing the move as divisive. Conservative chairman Kevin Hollinrake criticized the ban as an attack on rural Britain and its culture.
Further aims of the strategy include ending confinement systems in farming such as caged hens and pig farrowing crates, as well as promoting slow-growing chickens over so-called 'Frankenchickens.' The National Pig Association has stated it will monitor the next steps regarding farrowing crates, while Compassion in World Farming UK recognizes that these reforms raise welfare standards.
Additionally, the government is planning a consultation on banning snare traps in the countryside as part of the broader effort to improve animal welfare.
