RSPCA and Defra slam puppy yoga as ‘cruelty’ urging sessions to stop

MPs attending an Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (DEFRA) meeting have criticised puppy yoga as “cruelty”, following an undercover investigation by ITV that found dogs being put at “serious risk” in classes.

MP Sir Robert Goodwill urged puppy yoga event organisers to “stop doing it”, adding: “It isn’t that we need to change the law, it’s already against the law to be cruel to animals, and I believe this is cruelty.

“These puppies are being exploited, there’s no evidence in the film that the animals were enjoying the contact with people.”

RSPCA dog welfare expert Esme Wheeler added: “Puppy yoga events – including those where litters of pups are used at events for the purposes of entertainment and often under the guise of ‘socialisation’ – are something we are very concerned about, and they worryingly seem to have been gaining traction as a popular activity.

“At the moment there is no specific regulation around puppy yoga, and it is very concerning that anyone can set it up.

“However, in England, we strongly believe that this activity should fall under licensing of the keeping or training of animals for exhibition activities, which means that commercial businesses carrying out this activity should have a licence. Puppy yoga could be in breach of these current regulations given that the puppies used are often alleged to be below eight weeks of age and the licensing conditions state that unweaned or dependent offspring must not be removed from their mothers.”