Rt Hon George Eustice
Minister of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR
Dear George,
I am writing to you regarding dog fighting and further to the Westminster Hall debate which took place on the 29th June. Unfortunately I could not attend.
Despite being banned since 1835, dog fighting is still a very real and live issue in the UK today. An academic report, published last year and commissioned by the League Against Cruel Sports (http://www.league.org.uk/~/media/Files/LACS/Publications/Betrayal-of-Tru...), revealed that a dog fight takes place in the UK every day. This is a huge number, especially when compared to the estimated 20 prosecutions and several custodial sentences that happen annually.
Organised dog fights can last up to five hours and cause horrific injuries to the animals involved. Those that don’t die during the fight are often patched up using crude methods such as supergluing torn ears or stapling wounds closed. Others, particularly those that lose the fight, may be deliberately killed by their owners for bringing disgrace upon them, or simply because the dog is so badly injured it is seen as ‘unsalvageable’. These are just a few of the cruelties surrounding this sport.
Whilst the Animal Welfare Act 2006 has now been strengthened to allow the imposition of an unlimited fine for animal cruelty, there’s a strong case for increasing sentencing capacity too. Northern Ireland has increased sentences for animal cruelty offences to between two and five years, yet in the UK the maximum is currently only 6 months.
My constituents and I would like to see action around the specific issue of dog fighting sooner rather than later. There needs to be a clear deterrent for this crime as well as the right guidance for magistrates when sentencing.
It’s also important that the findings of the current consultation (which ends on the 11th August) on sentencing guidelines for animal cruelty offences are taken into serious consideration, so that they can inform any future legislation surrounding this matter.
I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
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