We ask that Spinone Overseas For Adoption (SOFA) is consulted during the drafting of secondary legislation, and we request special exemption for our charity to continue importing docked adult rescue dogs via DEFRA-regulated commercial routes.

Below are the main points of our case for exemption – this is a work in progress and references are being added currently.

Why Our Work Should Continue

SOFA do not contribute to UK shelter overcrowding.
Because of the excellent work of UK breeders, ISCGB, and Italian Spinone Rehome & Rescue GB, very few Spinoni ever end up in UK shelters. We provide lifetime backup so our dogs never become a burden for UK shelters. The argument — “why import when UK dogs need homes?” — simply doesn’t apply here. We do not take homes away from UK dogs; we expand adoption by finding specific, appropriate homes for dogs of this breed.
We are proud to hold letters of support from all three of the Spinone breed clubs of the UK: The Italian Spinone Society of Scotland, The Northern Italian Spinone Association, and the Italian Spinone Club of Great Britain (which operates Italian Spinone Rehome & Rescue GB)

These are adult working dogs, previously docked for function not fashion.
In Italy, Spinoni are almost always working dogs, and docking is carried out for that reason — a legal practice both there and in the UK. Many are later unwanted, neglected or shot. Our rescue work offers them a second chance with experienced, responsible homes in the UK. There is no fashion led demand for docked Spinoni here – a full tail is preferred.

Spinoni may be legally docked in the UK: banning them as imports for rescue is unfair.
Spinoni may be legally docked in the UK for working purposes. We are gathering details on approximate numbers docked. It is not high: demand is for working Spinoni is small but it does exist. Banning the importation of dogs docked under the same legal framework is inconsistent when the practice is permitted within the UK. It seems especially callous for rescue purposes.

The UK Already Has a System of Certification for Docked Working Hunting Dogs: We Ask for Parity

Legally docked working breeds are clearly defined in law: “hunt point retrieve breeds of any type or combination of types, spaniels of any type or combination of types, terriers of any type or combination of types.”(Docking of Working Dogs’ Tails (England) Regulations 2007) Certification is compulsory for all legally docked working dogs.

This system could easily extend to imported rescue dogs, providing:

• Certification for every imported docked rescue dog to clarify status, to be entered on its microchip
  
• Mandatory documentation for enforcement
  
• Clear origin records held by DEFRA (Already exists via the Balai Directive which charities use)
  
• Traceability of each dog to a registered charity via dual registration microchip (Already exists and should be mandatory)
  
• No loophole for illegal docking
  
  

It is fair, enforceable, and achievable.

Italy has similar legislation to the UK, as regards legal docking of working gundogs only. Spinoni from Italy are docked in the same way and for the same reason, but the dog has no chance of retaining its certificate after surrender or abandonment, putting docked hunting dogs at a terrible, life-altering disadvantage if they can no longer be rescued.

Unwanted Spinoni rarely find new homes in their own country.
There is little culture of pet ownership of Spinoni in Italy. This creates a serious welfare gap that only the UK is currently filling, thanks to our strong culture of rehoming and the dedication of our Spinone-loving adopters and supporters.
Reference:
Letter of support for SOFA from the Italian national animal protection organisation ENPA:
“Hunting dogs are very often mistreated and kept in terrible conditions. They are generally not considered companion animals; they do not live in the home but in outdoor kennels, and Italian shelters and refuges are full of unwanted hunting dogs.E.N.P.A., as a national body, has worked for many years to raise awareness among Italians and to encourage them to see hunting dogs as family animals — but this remains very difficult.E.N.P.A….works with other responsible organisations abroad….The United Kingdom shows a particular interest in the Spinone Italiano as a family dog, and the collaboration with S.O.F.A. has given many Spinoni the opportunity to have a happy home.”

Every dog we place is fully health-tested
We consult regularly with Ian Wright BVMS.MSc.MRCVS, partner at the Mount Veterinary practice and chair of the European Scientific Counsel for Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP), who advises on our program of rigorous disease screening. We welcome the introduction of compulsory Brucella testing which we already perform on all dogs before importation, along with a full panel of disease tests. The vast majority of our dogs are neutered before arrival. On the very rare occasion that this is impossible, the dog is neutered as soon as possible in the UK at our expense.|

Letter of support from Ian Wright BVMS.MSc.MRCVS, partner at the Mount Veterinary practice and chair of the European Scientific Counsel for Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP)

SOFA is a registered UK charity with transparent finances and lifetime rescue backup.
Our strong relationships with adopters and the wider Spinone community enable us to support dogs throughout their lives through volunteering, networking and fundraising. Our dogs’ chips are dual-registered to the charity on entry to the UK, so they are traceable to us for life. Our finances and practices are fully transparent, and all four trustees are unpaid.

We recognise that overseas rescue would benefit from clear and responsible regulation.
We would welcome a framework or code of practice — perhaps modelled on the Scottish system for certifying dog rescue charities — and the chance to work with DEFRA and other stakeholders to help shape it.

We believe the UK public supports an exemption for registered charities.
People clearly distinguish between criminals who mutilate animals, and rescues saving already-harmed dogs. Comments on the RSPCA’s own announcement shows this clearly: Approximately 90% opposed the RSPCA’s stance against exemptions. People clearly distinguish between criminals who mutilate animals, and rescues, saving already-harmed dogs. Our petition is gathering signatures rapidly.