PUPPIES AND KITTENS IN PET SHOPS

That this House recognises that the process of selling puppies and kittens through licensed pet shops as defined under Section 7 of the Pet Animals Act 1951 negatively impacts upon the animals' welfare; notes that it is almost impossible to meet the requirements for these species as advised under Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in a pet shop environment; further notes that displaying puppies and kittens in pet shops encourages impulse purchases where owners do not have an understanding of the full responsibilities of animal ownership and contributes to a surplus of puppies and kittens being bred, rescue pets being disregarded and healthy animals being destroyed; notes that this leaves consumers vulnerable to misleading advertising and conflicts with the Government's advice to always see a puppy with its mother, in its natural environment, and never being sold any younger than eight weeks old; and calls on the Government to ban the sale of puppies and kittens in pet shops.