How to Write to Your MP (And Actually Be Heard)
If you want to make the dog world a better place, here is a clear, practical guide to contacting your MP effectively.
🔵 “Find Your MP Now”
https://www.writetothem.com
Why Writing Works
One letter = correspondence
Fifty letters = concern
Two hundred letters = a political issue
Calm, reasoned letters carry weight.
Step-by-Step Guide
Give Ethical Breeders a Fair Voice
A briefing for supporters of the Union of Good Dog People
As many of you know, the Union of Good Dog People (UGDP) has grown at extraordinary speed since launching on Boxing Day. In just a few short weeks, more than 4,000 members — breeders, owners and welfare-minded supporters — have come together because they share a common concern:
👉 Good, small-scale breeders are increasingly being treated as part of the problem rather than recognised as part of the solution.
We are now asking supporters to write to their MPs. This article explains why your voice matters, what to say, and how to say it effectively.
Why MPs Need to Hear From You
Before Christmas, the Government’s announcement of plans to clamp down on puppy farming was warmly welcomed across the dog world. Ethical breeders have long called for stronger action against large-scale, low-welfare commercial breeding.
However, there is growing concern that:
- Huge, low-welfare breeders remain licensed and legally operating
- Meanwhile, small, welfare-led home breeders face increasing regulatory pressure
- Enforcement by local authorities has become a postcode lottery
- Infrequent breeders — often the very people doing things best — are being hit hardest by costly and ilogical requirements
Many UGDP members report inconsistent interpretation of the same regulations between councils. What is considered reasonable and proportionate in one area can trigger enforcement action in another.
This cannot be good policy.
The Reality of Ethical Small-Scale Breeding
It is vital that MPs understand what responsible breeders actually do.
Gold-standard, small-scale breeders typically:
- Carry out extensive health testing
- Carefully plan matings to improve health and temperament often sourcing genetic diversity from other countries
- Provide rich early socialisation and learning
- Raise puppies in the home, not in volume systems
- Offer lifetime support and take-back responsibility
- Breed infrequently and with deep personal investment
These are not high-volume profit-driven enterprises. They are custodians of breeds and producers of well-adjusted family companions.
In fact, dogs from such environments have the strongest chance of becoming lifelong, much-loved pets that never enter the rescue system — at a time when rescues are already overflowing.
Why the Union Needs a Seat at the Table
Despite this, many ethical breeders feel policy is being developed without meaningful input from those on the ground.
A key example is the Innate Health Assessment (IHA) developed through APGAW. While clearly well-intentioned and aimed at reducing extreme conformation, the Union is concerned that:
- The tool was developed over three years without proper engagement with ethical small breeders
- Its criteria are very broad and highly visual
- If embedded into licensing or enforcement, it could create large numbers of false fails
- More than 60 breeds could be significantly affected despite many dogs being healthy and functional
The fear is not the intention — which many support — but the unintended consequences of a tool that may be too blunt for regulatory use.
Good legislation must be:
- Evidence-based
- Proportionate
- Practically workable
- Informed by real-world experience
That is precisely why UGDP is asking for a constructive seat at the table.
The Postcode Lottery Problem
Supporters are increasingly reporting that enforcement varies widely between local authorities.
Common concerns include:
- Different interpretations of “in business” breeding
- Disproportionate licensing expectations for very small breeders
- High compliance costs designed for commercial operations
- Planning and licensing pressures that make responsible home breeding difficult
This inconsistency risks driving out the very breeders the public most needs.
What We Are Asking MPs To Do
When you write to your MP, the tone should be calm, constructive and evidence-focused.
We are not asking for weaker welfare.
We are asking for smarter, fairer, proportionate regulation.
Key points to include
Please ask your MP to:
- Recognise the vital role of small, ethical breeders
- Acknowledge the postcode lottery in enforcement
- Ensure any future reforms do not unintentionally penalise high-welfare home breeders
- Confirm that the IHA will not be rushed into legislation without full consultation
- Support giving the Union of Good Dog People a seat at the policy table
Suggested Letter Framework
Supporters may wish to adapt the following structure:
1. Brief personal introduction
Explain who you are (dog lover, breeder, dog expert, rescuer, supporter).
2. Welcome the puppy farm crackdown
Make clear you support high welfare and action against poor breeding.
3. Raise the concern
Explain the risk that small ethical breeders are being unfairly impacted and that enforcement is inconsistent.
4. Mention the IHA concern
Politely ask for reassurance it will not be embedded in legislation without proper scrutiny, noting concerns that over 60 breeds could be affected by overly broad criteria.
5. Call for inclusion
Ask that the Union of Good Dog People — now over 4,000 members strong — is included in discussions to provide practical, real-world insight.
6. Close constructively
Emphasise shared goals: healthier dogs, better welfare, fewer dogs in rescue.
The Bottom Line
Everyone in this debate wants healthier, happier dogs.
But good intentions alone are not enough. Without careful, proportionate policy — and without listening to experienced ethical breeders — there is a real risk of unintended damage to the very part of the dog world that is already doing things right.
The Union of Good Dog People stands ready to contribute practical, common-sense solutions.
All we are asking for is a fair hearing and a seat at the table.
