As we told you all a week ago about the banning/restricting of out hobby, the boss emailed all the Scottish MEPs in question and he has received one (pretty outdated and shocking) reply. The MEPs in question quite clearly do not understand our hobby and are 10 years out of date with reality. please read and feel free to email her your views as things are getting really serious. Again, we would like to thank Chris Newman (REPTA) with his support and his constant attention to all these important issues. Dear Mr Melville Thank you for your email. Unfortunately Catherine is not in the constituency office during the next few weeks as she will be in Strasbourg this week and Brussels the following week. Can you let me have the specific points you would like to raise with her that has led you to believe she should not have signed up to the Eurogroup for Animals manifesto. Are you able to expand on your comment that Catherine ³clearly does not understand the actual trade at all and the benefits it creates²? What are the benefits from your perspective? You have commented that keeping reptiles is a hobby. Catherine does not see the keeping of reptiles or any exotic animal as a Œhobby¹. Ownership for such animals, like any other family pet, demands a responsibility to the health and welfare of the living creature. Catherine has signed up to this group in good faith from the perspective of the welfare of exotic animals that are being imported into this country. Catherine strongly supports the necessity for legislation that provides a coherent EU wide guidance on the import, trade, keeping and sale of exotic pets that have more complex needs compared to those of our domestic pets. Currently there is disparity between EU countries. They all have animal welfare legislation but the rules relating to the keeping and sale of these animals varies within each country. Introducing good legislation via initiatives such as EU Invasive Alien Species Strategy and The Animal Health Law will hopefully ensure high levels of animal welfare during transit to prevent death and poor welfare conditions. Good legislation will also ensure retailers are selling animals to people who will also have the animals welfare high in their priorities. Catherine supports the need for recognized high levels of training for retailers on the handling and caring for exotic animals. Qualified retailers are then in a position to educate potential owners and ensure any animals sold are going to be looked after properly both before and after purchase. Thank you for contacting Catherine on this issue. Again, I must stress it is the welfare of the animals that is dictating Catherine¹s decision. However, she will be happy to receive your views for consideration on why you think the proposed legislation is bad for the welfare of exotic pets. Catherine Stihler MEP [cstihlermep@btconnect]
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 12:37:04 +0000
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