Last month the Government made the choice to tug the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill from the Parliamentary agenda.

With solely 5 hours of Parliamentary time left till its passage into legislation, I joined many animal lovers – in properties throughout our nation – in asking the query why?

The determination to drop the Bill appears to fly within the face of the leaps and bounds made throughout Boris Johnson’s administration and marks an unwelcome coverage shift for animal activists, campaigners, and animal lovers alike.

From enhancing animal welfare requirements, tackling the retaining of zoo animals at dwelling, banning pet smuggling, and placing proactive steps in place to restrict the abhorrent apply of ear cropping, this Bill was progress in motion, the product of years of debate, dialogue, and dialogue.

As a proud nation of animal lovers, this determination contradicts a typical worth held by many and distances Government from a key 2019 manifesto dedication.

More than this, it sends a message to nations world wide, lots of whom we now have inspired to enhance their animal welfare credentials, that Britain has turned its again on our four-legged buddies. Nothing might be farther from the reality.

As a vegetarian of over 20 years, a loving pet proprietor, and a lifelong animal advocate, I’ve spent a lot of my life combating to widen the safety of animals.

I’ve been an outspoken advocate for animal welfare in Parliament and launched my Animals Matter marketing campaign to attract consideration to animal welfare considerations – at dwelling and world wide – from the cat and canine meat commerce in South-East Asia to trophy searching bans in Botswana.

Just a few days in the past I launched a public petition, which has already acquired assist from animal lovers and well-known faces, from TV vet Marc Abraham, actor Peter Egan, and TV presenter Rachel Riley, within the hopes that the power of public feeling on this space, the fervour that’s shared by each animal lover, will persuade Government of the necessity to carry again the invoice; in spite of everything animals matter!