Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill 2024-25

The Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill is a Private Member’s bill introduced into Parliament by Dr Danny Chambers (LD). The bill was given a Second Reading in the Commons on 29 November 2024 and had its Committee stage on 14 May 2025. It is due for its remaining Commons stages on 4 July 2025. The government supports the bill and has published explanatory notes.

The bill includes measures to allow the four parts of the UK to regulate to raise the minimum age for imported dogs and cats from 15 weeks to six months, and ban the import of dogs and cats that are more than 42 days pregnant or mutilated. Mutilation means, for example, dogs which have had their ears cropped or tail docked, and cats which have been declawed.

For England, Scotland and Wales, the bill will also amend EU rules assimilated into UK law to limit the number of cats and dogs imported per motor vehicle to five, or three per foot passenger. The animals’ owner would be required either to travel with the animals or to arrive in the UK within five days before or after the animals.

What the bill would change

Currently, the lower age limit to import a dog or cat is 15 weeks. Pregnant dogs and cats may be imported up to the last 10% of their pregnancy. Up to five dogs or cats per person can be imported and the owner can authorise someone else to travel with the animals.

In 2021-22, the government included provisions in the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill to limit the number of dogs, cats or ferrets that can be moved on a non-commercial basis and to set restrictions on the condition of animals that can be brought into the country. The bill was carried over into the 2022-23 parliamentary session but the government announced on 25 May 2023 that the bill would not proceed further in its current form.  The government said that rather than progress one overarching animal welfare bill it would instead introduce separate legislation on elements of the bill.

A previous Private Member’s bill with similar measures to the present bill was proposed in the 2023-24 session by Selaine Saxby MP (Con). This bill did not progress beyond second reading in the Commons before the 2024 General Election.

The Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill takes forward the proposed provisions on animal imports. It would enable the national authorities in each part of the UK to make regulations to impose conditions on the import of dogs, cats and ferrets, in the interests of their welfare.

Dogs, cats and ferrets can enter the UK in one of two ways: as non-commercial pet travel movements or as commercial imports. More stringent requirements apply to commercial imports than to non-commercial movements. The Explanatory Notes to the bill say that evidence has shown that commercial movements are frequently being disguised as non-commercial movements to avoid meeting these more stringent requirements.