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The government is set to introduce a new animal welfare strategy on Monday, which aims to put an end to puppy farming and considers banning electric shock dog collars. This comprehensive plan includes new laws and legislative reforms, and it also addresses Labour’s earlier commitment to prohibit trail hunting in rural areas. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has welcomed the move to outlaw puppy farming, whereas the Countryside Alliance has criticized the proposed ban on trail hunting, describing it as “another attack on the countryside.”
Emma Reynolds, the Environment Secretary, explained to the BBC that there would be a consultation regarding the trail hunting ban. She highlighted that such hunting is “sometimes used as a smokescreen” for illegal fox hunting activities. Puppy farming, which involves breeding dogs primarily for profit often under poor conditions such as overcrowded pens and frequent litters, is among the key concerns the government strategy seeks to tackle. The proposed reforms to dog breeding represent what the government calls “the biggest animal welfare reforms in a generation,” though the full strategy’s rollout is not expected to be completed until 2030.
David Bowles, who heads public affairs at the RSPCA, expressed enthusiasm about the strategy, describing the plans to end puppy farming as potentially transformative. He pointed out that puppy farming remains one of the most significant issues confronting the charity and stressed the need for robust legislation to close any loopholes. In addition to these measures, the government intends to ban snare traps used in the countryside and confirmed a consultation in the new year specifically about the trail hunting ban. Trail hunting involves laying a scent trail with a rag carrying a natural odor for hounds to follow, but there is concern that hounds might pick up live animal scents instead.
The Environment Secretary also referenced the 2004 fox hunting ban introduced by Labour, noting that trail hunting could be exploited to circumvent this law. She emphasized that enforcement has been challenging and reinforced the government’s determination to strengthen legislation: “We know sometimes it is used as a smokescreen for fox hunting.” On the other side of the debate, Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, condemned the renewed focus on hunting, calling it “unbelievable” that the government would prioritize this divisive issue over other concerns facing rural communities. Conservative chairman Kevin Hollinrake echoed these sentiments, regarding the ban as an “attack on rural Britain and British culture” and accusing the government of penalizing law-abiding supporters of legal trail hunting.
Aside from hunting-related policies, the government’s strategy also targets farming practices, including plans to phase out “confinement systems” such as caged hens and pig farrowing crates, which restrict sows during birth and nursing. The strategy supports promoting slow-growing chicken breeds as an alternative to fast-growing varieties often referred to by animal welfare groups as “Frankenchickens.” Anthony Field, head of Compassion in World Farming UK, praised the government for “raising the bar for farmed animal welfare.” Meanwhile, the National Pig Association indicated it would closely monitor developments regarding farrowing crates and expressed interest in more flexible systems. The British Poultry Council has been approached but has not provided a comment
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