Carrie Symonds and Boris Johnson have adopted a Jack Russell puppy, who was delivered to No. 10 in a carry case this week. The tiny puppy was about to be abandoned by cruel puppy dealers because he was born with a crooked jaw and considered worthless, Eileen Jones from the charity Friends of Animals in Wales received a tip-off and stepped in to rescue the pup and repair his jaw.
Despite being one of Britain’s most popular small breeds, Jack Russells were only recognised as a breed by the Kennel Club in 2016. They are devoted, energetic, empathetic, intelligent and playful, this reporter has heard of Jack Russells who understand up to 70 words, including left and right.
Miss Symonds is concerned about animal welfare and it seems was introduced to Ms Jones by TV vet Marc Abraham. After a precarious start in life this puppy,named Dilyn, will now have a loving home and is a totem for the new legislation called “Lucy’s Law”,announced in May by Michael Gove when he was Environment Secretary;the legislation will come into force on 6 April 2020, giving industry and consumers time to prepare for the change.Puppies and kittens will no longer be allowed to be sold by a third-party seller, such as a pet shop or commercial dealer. Anyone looking to buy or adopt a puppy or kitten under six months old must either deal directly with the breeder or an animal rehoming centre.
The law is named after Lucy, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who died in 2016 after being subjected to terrible conditions on a Welsh puppy farm. Dogs like Lucy are often kept by breeders who have “puppy factories”, where bitches are forced to produce multiple litters of puppies, which are then taken from their mothers at just a few weeks’ old, advertised online or sold in pet shops.
This practice of factory farming cute litters causes lifelong socialisation issues for the puppy or kitten, distress and ill-health for the mother dog/cat, as well as a number of preventable diseases. Lucy’s legislation ensures that puppies and kittens are born and reared in safety with their mother and sold from their place of birth.
The ban also deters puppy smugglers who abuse the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) by bringing underage puppies into the UK which are then sold on for financial gain. Animal Welfare Homes like Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in London and charities such as the RSPCA support the ban.