Power doesn't corrupt; it encourages pre-existing unethical misconduct to flow without question.
DEFRA’s lack of any scientific backing or reliable information was put in writing and handed out to local authorities as codified legislation - without any peer review or competent official being involved on the government side and not a single cattery being contacted.
For decades the cattery and kennel sector has been focussed entirely on animal welfare with little more than a love of animals and a loose affiliation with the FAB framework as a trusted rating system.
- In 2019 DEFRA replaced both of our indutry's founding principals without providing any rationale to show that radical and costly reforms were needed - or that there was widespread mistreatment and abuse of domestic animals within our industry.
- But DEFRA decided that reforms were so necessary that they replaced "love" with an atrocious set of unworkable rules and pointless paperwork and replaced "FAB" with an abysmal rating system that can’t be applied or deciphered by the public or local authorities.
DEFRA cannot be allowed to escape accountability and cannot deflect from what they did.
- Between 2019 and today DEFRA's regulations and local authority inspections have been cited as the major reason for people leaving this sector.
- DEFRA have had plenty of time to slow this sector’s decimation, but in three years have not been willing to recognise the irreparable harm they've inflicted on UK businesses and UK tourism.
- DEFRA's wanton destruction of this sector has encouraged a "Wild West" version of unlicensed businesses to take their place and DEFRA are yet to explain why their only soution is to blame anyone but themselves.
DEFRA must be fired; for writing such useless and destructive regulations, for the destruction of UK businesses and for their inane deflections and subsequent inaction.
In theory local authorities are supposed to be beholden to the public but in practice are almost always inept, corrupt and accountable to no one.
- Local authorities do not employ people qualified to understand complex novella length diktats any more than they employ people with the moral integrity to question their own decisions.
- Local authorities can’t carry out DEFRA inspections consistently because a non-specific licencing qualification does not provide anyone with the ability to rate businesses or apply nonsensical and complex regulations correctly.
- Local authorities don’t have the interest or resources to chase down unlicensed operations. So uninspected, uninsured and high profit outfits continue to accrue the capital for exponential expansion ... while our funds were decreased by government interference, increased waste and regulated inefficiency.
Power without responsibility is the foundation of autocracy - it's clear that local authorities are not fit for purpose, and DEFRA do not want to accept their responsibilities, role and limitations.
But we do have a solution to everything:
- DEFRA needs enforcers to impose their regulations. But while DEFRA refuse to take responsibilty for their mistakes, relieving local authorities of responsibility for overseeing UK business licensing prevents DEFRA's unworkable regulatory framework from doing any more harm.
- Local authorities are unable to carry out inspections correctly and consistently. So until satisfactory corrective measures are taken to halt the widespread indefensible and irresponsible inspections, local authorities must withdraw from the enforcement process.
- Local authorities must restrict themselves to the work that they have the resources for and that they're qualified to carry out, which is printing out our licences free of charge and free of any star rating.
After doing this, DEFRA are irrelavent:
- DEFRA can take as many decades as they need to put their mistakes right.
- All the remaining licensed catteries and kennels will still provide British holiday-makers with the best possible boarding service.
- and DEFRA might have the time to reflect on the idea that reckless incompetence, institutional arrogance and power-deluded autocracy aren't the basic requirements for writing successful or thoughtful legislation.