West Dorset MP Chris Loder has urged the Government to support his continuing animal welfare campaign to end the live export of animals for fattening and slaughter, as well as bringing back to Parliament vital animal welfare reforms such as a crackdown on livestock worrying. Mr Loder has been campaigning for animal welfare progress since election in 2019. The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill, the Bill has been dormant for several months, having been postponed in September due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
At a debate in parliament on Monday 5th December, Mr Loder gave a heartfelt speech, as a local farmers son, about the appalling treatment of exported live animals to other countries for fattening and slaughter. The MP gave an example of a British cow found to have travelled as far away as Lebanon for slaughter
Mr Loder said; “the reality is that under EU law, we were obliged to free movement of goods and services – and that included livestock. We now have a real opportunity to legislate to make the lives of our domestic and farmed animals better. This is why the Government must bring back the Kept Animals Bill.”
The local MP also spoke of how a heavily pregnant highland cow, Gladis, was chased off the ramparts of a hill fort on Eggardon Hill in a suspected dog attack. He petitioned the minister, Mark Spencer to enact the reforms promised under the Bill to clamp down on such incidents.
Mr Loder continued; “I have sadly had many incidents of livestock worrying and attacks in West Dorset. Almost on a weekly basis I hear of another dog attack, sometimes resorting in the deaths of many animals and severe distress to farmers. This is simply unacceptable and it must be properly addressed in law.”
The West Dorset MP has met with the Secretary of State for the Environment and will be meeting the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Downing Street in the new year to further make the case for animal welfare reforms to be afforded the attention it deserves.
