For the first time in decades DEFRA updated our regulations and they produced a useless document because they failed to consult anyone representing the industry.
DEFRA's expertise is in land management, with a mandate to improve the environment and strengthen food supply chains. When they write farming regulations they take advice from the Trade & Agriculture board who at least theoretically represent farmers' interests.
No one on the steering committee and no one on the CFSG were qualified to give advice about writing laws for an industry that they had no knowledge of. The regulations were never checked for feasibility, reviewed or examined before being imposed - But it's precisely because DEFRA received the wrong advice, had the wrong mindset and having developed their own absurd objectives ended up with legislation that is unfit for purpose - it was never even proof-read to remove references to keeping fish in a cattery.
But on the ludicrous “advice” of the CFSG, DEFRA wrote regulations governing our personal lives requiring us to agree to prisoner style home detention sentencing in exchange for two extra stars - not for the maximum of six months as outlined by human rights sentencing, but for your entire lifespan in this industry. DEFRA and the CFSG wrote legislation for us that doesn't apply to anyone else in this sector - including more draconian personal restrictions than those pertaining to any of the UK's animal charities, and enforces tighter restrictions on our industry than were written by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for thier own members.
Neither the CFSG or DEFRA had any appropriate knowledge of the tourism industry or boarding establishments and yet wrote legislation to govern us - Not a single regulation distingishes the differences between a commercial enterprise with permanent staff and a single person running a small community based service facility on their own.
DEFRA introduced pointless paperwork and financially damaging changes that reduced the welfare of the animals - and then unlike the aerospce industry or construction introduced new building regulations that were applied retrospectively without any costings, financial help, adequate time-frames or caveats.
Every licensed cattery is subject to DEFRA's licensing rules - but as a collective experience, every impractical unjustifiable non-universal dysfunctional regulation can be identified - but of course we can't even start the ball rolling if the people we have to deal with only want to avoid having to take responsiblity for their own decisions.
Our alliance fought to gain a direct communication with DEFRA which we now have - But prior to this DEFRA's spokeswoman agreed to face to face meetings in Parliament and then refused to meet the industry's representatives when the cameras were turned off. We even have instances of local councils requesting clarification on specific regulations that DEFRA refused to respond to - And the CEO of the CFSG tried to avoid being held to account by refusing to acknowledge any of the emails and voicemails of the most representative group of cattery & kennel owners in the industry for the best part of a year.
It's not surprising that DEFRA and the CFSG didn't want a dialogue or a partnership because the regulations already evidence that no one involved in writing any of the laws at any point had the slightest understanding of the commercial animal boarding sector.
Nine people influenced the contents of our industry's rules. Yet no one sitting on the CFSG represents or understands the purpose of our industry. A vet and a pet food manufacturer and six representing charities who have never run a hotel and barely have any contact with animals is not representative of our sector.