The government will launch a wide-ranging animal welfare strategy on Monday, promising an end to puppy farming and signalling a possible ban on electric shock dog collars. Ministers describe the package as the biggest overhaul of animal welfare laws in a generation.
The strategy brings together new legislation, reforms to existing laws, and long-term proposals affecting pets, farm animals, and countryside practices. Among its most contentious elements is Labour’s manifesto pledge to ban trail hunting, which will now be progressed through consultation.
Animal welfare organisations have welcomed the measures, while countryside and farming groups have warned they risk deepening divisions between urban policymakers and rural communities.
Puppy farming, where breeders prioritise profit over animal welfare, is a central target of the reforms. Such operations often involve keeping large numbers of dogs in cramped conditions and forcing them to produce multiple litters each year, leading to severe health and behavioural problems.
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said reforms to dog breeding practices would tackle what she called “one of the most harmful and unethical aspects of the pet trade”. She added that legislation aimed at ending puppy farming would be drafted within the coming year.
The RSPCA described the proposed ban as a landmark step. David Bowles, the charity’s head of public affairs, said the organisation was “delighted” by the strategy and believed it could transform standards across the breeding industry.
“Puppy farming is one of the most insidious problems that the RSPCA faces,” Bowles said. “The key now will be strong legislation with no loopholes, and we will work closely with the government to achieve that.”
The strategy also raises the prospect of banning electric shock collars for dogs, devices long criticised by animal welfare groups for causing pain and distress. While no immediate ban has been confirmed, ministers said their use would be reviewed as part of the broader reforms.
Another major element is the proposed ban on trail hunting, a practice introduced after fox hunting with hounds was outlawed in 2004. Trail hunting involves hounds following a pre-laid scent, but critics argue it can be used to disguise illegal fox hunting.
Reynolds told the BBC that trail hunting was “sometimes used as a smokescreen” to circumvent the existing ban. She confirmed that the government would hold a public consultation on outlawing the practice in the New Year.
“While fox hunting was banned more than 20 years ago, we have seen attempts to get around that law,” she said. “We are determined to go further, but this must be done with proper consultation.”
The Countryside Alliance has strongly opposed the move, calling a trail-hunting ban “completely unnecessary”. Its chief executive, Tim Bonner, said the government was wasting parliamentary time on a divisive issue.
“People across the countryside will be shocked that banning trail hunting and snares is treated as a political priority,” Bonner said, accusing ministers of neglecting rural communities and family farms.
Senior Conservatives echoed that criticism. Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake described the proposal as an “attack on rural Britain and British culture”, arguing it would punish those who already follow the law.
Beyond pets and hunting, the strategy outlines significant changes to farming. Ministers are considering ending “confinement systems” such as caged hens and pig farrowing crates, which restrict movement during birth and nursing.
The government also plans to promote the use of slow-growing chickens, moving away from fast-growing breeds criticised by campaigners as “Frankenchickens” due to associated health problems.
Anthony Field, head of Compassion in World Farming UK, said the proposals showed the government was “raising the bar for farmed animal welfare” and moving towards more humane systems.
Industry groups responded cautiously. The National Pig Association said it would monitor developments closely, noting it was already exploring more flexible alternatives to farrowing crates.
While the strategy is ambitious, the government has acknowledged that full implementation will not be completed until the end of 2030. Ministers argue the long timeline is necessary to ensure reforms are practical, enforceable, and economically viable.
As consultations begin, the strategy sets the stage for a renewed national debate over animal welfare, balancing ethical concerns, rural traditions, and the realities of farming and enforcement.
