Laika and Orla

Both 11 years old, Laika and Orla are ex-hunting dogs from Spain.

They were abandoned when they were no longer of any use to their hunters. Both have docked tails as a result of their previous working lives.

Under the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Act 2025, these two dogs would be banned from entering the UK because they are considered "mutilated".

Yet if they had been born in the UK and worked in the same role, their tails could have been legally docked under the UK's long-standing working dog exemption.

Should a dog's future be determined by the country it was born in, or by its breed, working history and welfare needs?

Both Laika and Orla are now living in loving homes in the UK.