Time to enforce a clear and transparent system to help animal welfare
Dog and cat breeders who make money from selling puppies and kittens are still not being regulated well enough under new laws, says one UK security firm.
Camera and security experts CCTV.co.uk have called for all puppy and kitten farms in the country to be fitted with 24-hour CCTV cameras. This will help to crack down on unscrupulous breeders who put profit before the welfare of dogs and cats.
Buying puppies and kittens from bad breeders can have a devastating impact on the lives of both the animals and the families who adopt them. Under new animal welfare regulations to help prevent these problems, any puppy farm producing three or more litters per year – or making more than £1000 per year from the sale of puppies – needs a licence from their local authority to operate.
The RSPCA have been at the forefront of driving the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) England Regulations 2018 to help enforce standards at commercial puppy farms across the UK.
But CCTV.co.uk point out that these laws will only go so far in protecting the public from unknowingly buying mistreated animals. The problem is that although the new laws could protect the puppies and the public, they’re only as good as the surveillance used to enforce them.
CCTV.co.uk’s solution is neat and simple – with the installation of security cameras at every puppy farm, treatment of animals will be easy to monitor and regulate, with no room for shady dealers to hide their animal welfare failings.
These cameras would let any member of the public – and any local authority – check in on the goings on of any professional dog breeder 24 hours a day 7 days a week, weeding out those who still knowingly flout new anti-cruelty laws.
Jonathan Ratcliffe from CCTV.co.uk says “We need to allow both animal welfare campaigners and potential puppy owners see how they are treated behind closed doors.
“Allowing 24h remote access into these systems gives everyone complete trust in the new legislation”.
It’s hoped that with these new CCTV systems, animal lovers from all over the country – and even the world – can join forces with the authorities by flagging anything they see as suspicious or cruel.
And it’s not only puppy farms that can be regulated by creating this kind of crack team of viewers. Cat breeders can also be monitored as they help to supply another of the nation’s favourite domestic pets.
