This week the legislation known as Lucy’s Law was approved by parliament. The ‘Statutory Instrument relating to the Draft Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 Motion’ as it’s officially known, will end third-party sales of puppies and kittens from April 2020. It means that the selling of puppies and kittens can only be conducted through breeders who have met rigorous standards on animal welfare and well-being. Dogs and cats can still be re-homed through animal rescue centres too. 

Marc Abrahams, the vet who led this campaign through his charity, Pup Aid, is to be congratulated on getting this measure into law. It will bring to an end the cruel puppy farms, where bitches such as Lucy are forced to produce litter after litter, and puppies are separated from their mothers at too early an age. They suffer health problems, as well as socialisation issues due to trauma from their experience. 

There is still more to be done – for example, to stop the illegal trafficking of puppies into this country from puppy farms abroad – but this law marks an important step for a nation of dog and cat lovers, which I very much welcome.