Four paws: MPs continue to enable loopholes for criminal dealers
Hamburg. The EU Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development (Agri) Does not use the historical opportunity to effectively combat illegal trade in dogs and cats. Instead of creating the urgently needed regulation of trade and thus transparency for consumers as well as fairness for serious breeders, the original draft regulation was greatly watered down. This remains the loopholes for criminal dealers. They were already responsible for great suffering in animals and people – and will continue to favor illegal trade in the future.
Four paws in a current report assume that in Germany alone the annual demand for dogs is around 921,000 animals, 84 percent of the animals cannot be verified in any clear origin (770,000 dogs). In online trading, four paws observed average prices of around 1,400 euros in dogs, with puppies making a large part of the ads. Thousands of ads are switched every day.
The committee voted against mandatory labeling and registration (K&R) of all dogs and cats. According to four paws, the origin of the puppies sold cannot be traced without gaps. According to the Global Animal Welfare Foundation, this is an invitation to everyone who wants to do dirty shops on the back of the animals and the buyer.
“The indifference of the deputies in the AGRI committee compared to the suffering of the illegal puppy trade, which is often documented. We finally need courageous announcements from parliamentarians to ensure a mandatory, seamless traceability of all dogs and cats to the breeders as well as responsible persons, as well as a strictly regulated online trade, but also the animals, but also To effectively protect consumers from unscrupulous dealers, ”says Julia Mundl, campaigner at four paws.
So-called “hobby breeders” will continue to be excluded from compliance with animal welfare states. This means, for example, that you have to provide the animals neither access to clean water nor enough feed or safe and hygienic keeping conditions. The online trade is also only regulated half -heartedly, although it is now the most important sales channel.
Four paws expected from the European Parliament to correct this wrong course. The upcoming plenary vote must necessarily be used for this: the loopholes have to be closed once and for all. The labeling and registration of all cats and dogs must be prescribed. It is also important to apply basic animal welfare regulations for all breeders and to ensure the complete traceability of online sales-without exceptions. This is the only way to achieve the goals of this regulation that she has set itself.