Our 2024 pet manifesto
It’s a dog’s life – let’s make it better.
Our 2024 manifesto charts a dog’s life, focusing on those milestones where legislative change is needed.
So, on dogs’ behalf we’re asking the UK government to promise the following:
Better breeding
The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 state that dog breeders need to obtain a local authority licence for dog breeding if they either:
- breed three or more litters of puppies a year
- run a breeding business for profit
The fundamental problem is that public demand for puppies outstrips the supply available from licensed breeders, leading people to look elsewhere for their pet. The scale of unlicensed dog breeding is of huge concern.
We believe the most effective way to deal with problems with the breeding and selling of dogs would be by introducing a comprehensive system of registration and licensing for anyone breeding and selling an animal.
Blue Cross is calling for:
- a robust system of registration and licensing for all who breed and sell dogs and commitment to enforce legislation prohibiting breeding dogs when it’s likely to lead to welfare issues for the mother or puppies
Responsible ownership
Blue Cross wants all dog owners to be responsible and ensure their dogs are always under control, whether out in the community or at home. We know that irresponsible dog ownership and dog control issues are inextricably linked and can be a major problem in local communities, causing problems for other residents and pet owners.
Responsible dog ownership is an essential aspect of effective dog control and has positive impacts on the dog’s health and welfare. It also places responsibility for the dog’s behaviour on their owner rather than simply demonising the specific breeds.
Blue Cross is calling for:
- an end to breed specific legislation – to be replaced with evidence-based, breed-neutral legislation that covers all aspects of dog control
Ban of shock collars
Blue Cross has long campaigned for a ban on aversive training methods, such as electric shock collars, as they pose a serious animal welfare issue. There is no evidence that shock devices deliver better or more effective results than reward based training methods do.
We believe that training techniques that cause pain and fear compromise welfare and are therefore in contravention of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Blue Cross is calling for:
- the new Government to ban shock collars in England
An end to greyhound racing
Thousands of racing greyhounds are still suffering.
From the day they’re born to the day they die, many live a miserable existence. Greyhound racing is a danger to the dogs involved, and there are significant inherent issues associated with the industry. These include dog fatalities and injuries, issues with the safety and design of tracks, races going ahead in extreme weather, poor conditions at some trainers’ kennels, and the fate of greyhounds retired from the sport.
Since 2018, over 2,700 greyhounds have died or were put to sleep as a result of their involvement in greyhound racing. Over 26,000 injuries were suffered by dogs in the UK greyhound racing industry between 2018 and 2023.
Blue Cross, along with Dogs Trust and the RSPCA, wants to see an end to greyhound racing announced as soon as possible.
We currently have over 110,000 petition signatures calling for an end to this cruel sport.
Blue Cross is calling for:
- a phased end to this cruel sport, with the introduction of legislation to prohibit greyhound racing in England
Email your MP
We are urging all our supporters in England to contact their MP calling on them to sign up to our manifesto asks and pledge to advocate for animals over the next five years.
