The Government has invited the Justice for Reggie campaign to join its review into the sale of animals online, following a Parliamentary debate on the subject on Tuesday.
The Westminster Hall debate was triggered by an online petition, which gathered 109,000 signatures from concerned members of the public, asking the Government to introduce regulation of all websites where animals are sold.
The Justice for Reggie campaign was started by Richard Ackers who purchased a 12-week old puppy named Reggie from a website in December 2020, only to find that he was in extremely poor health and unable to recover. The campaign is calling for the government to introduce a new ‘Reggie’s Law’, making it compulsory for websites to verify the identity of all sellers, and for young animals for sale to be pictured with their parents on all listings.
Speaking on behalf of the Government at the debate, Jo Churchill MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), said that the Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) will continue to be the main forum for discussing online sales regulation, but that input from other organisations, including the Justice for Reggie campaign, will be welcomed.
She said: “We think a holistic approach is possible, but I am well aware that the key stakeholders – trade associations, PAAG, the Pet Industry Federation, and the Canine and Feline Sector Group – will be integral to collecting evidence to inform DEFRA’s review. In addition, I would welcome any evidence that Justice for Reggie may hold about how we can improve that.
“Following this debate, I will ask officials to meet representatives of the Justice for Reggie campaign in the coming days so that we can take on board any information and evidence they can provide that can assist our understanding of these issues. There will also be a roundtable with PAAG and some of the online platforms in the new year, which Justice for Reggie would be welcome to attend to make its points in person.
“I hope that those present today have been reassured that we take this issue seriously and will work together, across Government and with those involved, to improve the situation.”
Speaking at the debate, Christina Rees MP said: “We all agree that the Government must act now. It is terribly upsetting that unscrupulous people are making money from disreputable pet animal sales online, but the key point is that innocent people are being duped by unscrupulous pet sellers who do not care if the animals they are selling live or die.”
