DogLost, Vets Get Scanning, Pet Theft Awareness & The Dog Union have joined forces as a parliamentary lobbying group to bring about change to protect our pets. Patrons Dr Daniel Allen, Animal Geographer, and Beverley Cuddy, Dogs Today Magazine, Dogs Monthly. Legal Adviser Professor John Cooper QC
We are members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare (APGAW) Which uses the influence of politicians and experts to raise the welfare of animals nationally and internationally.
For more information please visit: http://www.stolenandmissingpetsalliance.co.uk
#PetTheftReform debate in Westminster Hall on the 2nd July 2018
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Petition open until 8th August 2018
On this link:- https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/212174.
Excellent meeting today in preparation for the #PetTheft debate in Parliament on the 2nd July with our Legal Advisor Professor John Cooper and SAMPA Patrons Dr Daniel Allen and Beverley Cuddy. 21st June 2018
Pictured from left to right, Beverley Cuddy, Dr Daniel Allen, Professor John Cooper QC, Debbie Matthews Richard Jordan and Arnot Wilson
SAMPA was busy campaigning at Pup Aid 2016, 3rd September’16. Amongst the people we were able to chat to was Rob Flello MP who chairs the dog sub group of the All Party Group on Animal Welfare #APGAW. We took the opportunity to reinforce our aims and look forward to presenting them to the group.
SAMPA had another good meeting at #Westminster, 19th July’16, to discuss how we move forward with regard to dog theft and the scanning of microchips. Please bear with us while plans are being formulated.
It was also good seeing Marc the Vet busy meeting MP’s too.
Vets Get Scanning has joined DogLost, Pet Theft Awareness and The Dog Union, organisations in the field of pet theft and loss to push for greater reform to reduce the impact the issue has for owners.
Launching at Westminster with Neil Parish MP, chairman of the Associate Parliamentary Committee for Animal Welfare and Angela Smith MP Shadow Defra Minister, the Alliance is to push for five key reforms.
Three lie with microchipping: Compulsory scanning of microchips by vets, rescues and animal wardens, and of deceased pets by highway authorities and Network Rail. This, the Alliance, believes will be crucial in reuniting pets with their owners.
Said an Alliance spokesperson: “The compulsory microchipping of dogs scheduled for England in 2016, and Wales next year, provided the ideal opportunity to implement these reforms, but sadly Defra has not taken this on board.”
The Alliance also wants a microchip to be absolute proof of ownership rather than simply the registered keeper so that ownership disputes can be more readily resolved.
Another strand to the campaign is through the judiciary, whereby the Alliance is asking for animals to be reclassified under theft legislation. As the legislation stands, theft of a pet is no more serious that the theft of an object. Prosecutions are few and custodial sentences unheard of.
Continued an Alliance spokesperson: “We have already made a submission to the Sentencing Council and this has been supported by Neil Parish in his capacity as AGPAW chairman.
The four organisations comprising SAMPA are DogLost – the country’s largest reunification organisation; Pet Theft Awareness; the Dog Union and Vets Get Scanning – run by Sir Bruce Forsyth’s daughter, all of which have a common interest in pet theft and micro chipping.
Celebrity supporter, Marc the Vet, whose Pup Aid campaign prompted a parliamentary debate last week, also supported the launch.
Photo from the launch, from left to right is Arnot Wilson, Dog Union, Marc the Vet, Angela Smith MP, Neil Parish MP, Debbie Matthews and Gizmo, Vets Get Scanning, Nik Oakley, Doglost and Richard Jordan, Pet Theft Awareness. September’14.
