The Government agrees with the Committee’s findings. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a marked increase in pet ownership. These animals include a proportion of rescued street dogs from Eastern Europe. Linked to this, we have seen a rise in the cases of canine brucellosis caused by the Brucella canis bacterium. clinical disease. This rise in cases, has caused concern in Defra, the devolved nations and in the UK Health Security Agency. Incidents are investigated on a cross-departmental basis. No cases have been detected in humans in the UK. In February 2021 we took action to make sure that infection with B.canis is reportable. This will help improve our evidence base on this disease. We are now considering what additional steps might be needed for commercial pet imports. Proposed changes to existing regulations to clamp down on low-welfare pet imports might also be needed. Our work to pursue the licensing of dog breeders and initiatives to educate the public on how to source dogs responsibly should have a further positive impact.