Puppy farming, snare traps and trail hunting to be banned, under new reforms

Puppy farms, way hunting and snare traps are each acceptable to beryllium banned nether carnal payment reforms being introduced by the government.

Ministers person contiguous unveiled the government's Animal Welfare Strategy, which besides takes purpose astatine different measures seen arsenic cruel, specified arsenic daze collars, arsenic good arsenic cages and crates for workplace animals.

But portion proposals to amended animals' lives person been welcomed, Labour person been accused of acting similar "authoritarian power freaks" for plans to prohibition way hunting.

This is the signifier that sees an carnal scent laid done the countryside, which past allows riders and dogs to 'hunt' the smell.

Labour banned fox hunting outright successful 2004, but Sir Keir Starmer's authorities has suggested way hunting is present "being utilized arsenic a smokescreen for hunting" foxes.

Announcing the reforms, Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said: "This authorities is delivering the astir ambitious carnal payment strategy successful a generation.

"Our strategy volition rise payment standards for animals successful the home, connected the workplace and successful the wild."

Under the proposals, puppy farms - large-scale sites wherever dogs are bred intensively - volition beryllium banned.

This is due to the fact that these farms tin spot breeding dogs kept successful "appalling conditions" and "denied due care", resulting successful "long-term wellness issues", according to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The strategy has besides launched a consultation connected banning daze collars, which usage energy to sting pets and forestall them from escaping.

Other proposals see introducing caller licences for rescue and rehoming organisations, promoting "responsible" canine ownership and bringing successful caller restrictions for farms to amended carnal welfare.

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These volition spot bans connected "confinement systems" specified arsenic colony cages for hens and pig-farrowing crates, portion requirements volition beryllium brought successful to spare farmed food "avoidable pain".

The usage of c dioxide to stun pigs volition besides beryllium addressed, portion farmers volition beryllium encouraged to take to rear slower-growing nutrient chickenhearted breeds.

In bid to support chaotic animals, snare traps volition beryllium banned alongside way hunting, portion restrictions connected erstwhile hares tin beryllium changeable volition beryllium introduced.

The reforms person been publically welcomed by aggregate carnal charities, including the RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, and World Farming UK, arsenic good arsenic by the supermarket Waitrose.

Thomas Schultz-Jagow, from the RSPCA, called the proposals a "significant measurement forward" and said they person the imaginable to amended millions of lives.

He added: "People successful the UK emotion animals, and they privation to spot governments starring the mode to outlaw cruel practices which origin suffering. This strategy leads the mode by showing a beardown committedness to carnal welfare."

But the Conservatives person deed retired astatine the strategy, saying it shows Labour "simply doesn't attraction astir agrarian Britain".

Victoria Atkins, the shadiness situation secretary, said: "While it is bully to spot the authorities taking guardant Conservative policies to tackle puppy smuggling and livestock worrying, Labour is yet again favouring overseas farmers implicit British farmers by allowing substandard overseas imports to undercut our already-high payment standards."

She besides accused Labour of announcing the strategy connected the Monday earlier Christmas "to debar scrutiny" arsenic "they cognize that this volition beryllium different hammer stroke to farming profitability".

Meanwhile, Nigel Farage said: "So present Labour wants to prohibition way hunting. You mightiness arsenic good prohibition walking dogs successful the countryside arsenic they pursuit rabbits, hares, cervid and foxes. Labour are authoritarian power freaks."

The Countryside Alliance, an organisation that promotes agrarian sport, said: "Why does the authorities privation a warfare with the countryside?

"Trail hunting supports hundreds of jobs and is cardinal to galore agrarian communities. After its onslaught connected household farms, the authorities should beryllium focusing connected addressing issues that really assistance agrarian communities thrive, alternatively than pursuing divisive policies that hinder them."