Warring Tories torpedoed new laws that would have outlawed puppy smuggling after ministers caved in to "extremists" on their own benches, MPs heard.
Conservatives today voted down a bid to resurrect its own flagship animal welfare bill, less than three weeks after scrapping it what campaigners branded a "betrayal".
The Kept Animals Bill, if it became law, would have included tough new measures to clamp down on puppy farms, and banned exports of livestock for slaughter.
But despite the bill having cross-party support, Tory MPs today voted down an extraordinary attempt to put their own legislation back on the table.
The Commons heard claims it was ditched because ministers feared it could reopen a debate over hunting laws.
Animal rights groups voiced their disgust after Tories doubled down on dropping the Bill.
Labour MP Virendra Sharma fumed: "The government caved in to a small number of extremists in their own party."
His party had attempted to resurrect the bill in an usual move, with Shadow Environment Secretary Jim McMahon accusing Tories of giving a "green light" to puppy smugglers and pet thieves.
Following today's vote, Dogs Trust Veterinary Director, Paula Boyden, said: “I can’t convey how sad we are that, despite clear backing from the public, 65,000 of whom have emailed the Prime Minister pleading with him to pass this Bill to protect animals, it’s been blocked yet again from passing through Parliament.
“While Westminster continues to play political games, dogs are suffering horrific journeys to Great Britain, often without food and with little water, to be sold to unsuspecting buyers.
"Dogs are having their ears brutally mutilated, sometimes without anaesthesia, which can have a detrimental effect on their health, behaviour and welfare."
And she asked "When is the Government going to put the needs of animals before political point-scoring?”
And RSPCA head of public affairs David Bowles said: “We are disappointed that MPs have voted against reviving the Kept Animals Bill.
“It’s terrible news for animals and we are calling on the UK Government to rethink and bring back all the proposals contained within the binned Bill back by other means.
"We cannot go on allowing cruel practices such as the live exports of animals for slaughter and the puppy import trade."
The Commons heard that the delay has had a devastating impact on animals facing cruel treatment as opposition MPs lined up to criticise the Government's actions.
Despite it being a Conservative pledge in the 2019 manifesto, Environment Minister Mark Spencer sparked outrage when he confirmed the long-awaited Bill had been ditched last month.
Ministers claim they will put forward smaller bills to bring in the measures promised by the bill - but critics say this isn't good enough.
Claire Bass, senior director of campaigns and public affairs at Humane Society International/UK, said: “Animals are not political footballs and they needed MPs to come together today in order for progress to be made, but very disappointingly that didn’t happen.
"The Kept Animals Bill was already almost halfway to becoming law when the Government dropped it, so Labour’s motion to resume it on July 12th was the quickest route to banning live exports, tackling the cruel puppy trade and pet theft, and lots more vital measures for animals."
Labour backbencher Alex Davies-Jones said: "While Tory ministers are beholden to the hunting lobby and they dither and delay, thousands of animals are suffering in misery or will die in horrific conditions."
Shadow Environment, Food and Rural Affairs minister Alex Sobel told the Commons: "While the Government and their compliant backbenchers do their best to dance around the issue and deflect responsibility we no the real reason they withdrew the bill.
"Leaked internal documents reveal the Kept Animals Bill was just to avoid unncessary tensions and campaigns on their own benches and I think we've seen that played out today.
"The truth is that the Tories are more concerned with their own internal politics than the welfare of animals, and they've shown contempt for the electorate and a staggering inability to govern by doing so."
An Labour's Gill Furniss: "This u-turn flies in the face of so many experts on the frontline tackling these issues."
She pointed out that the RSPCA has warned about a "dramatic downward spiral" on animal rights, adding: "While this Government dithers animals suffer."
Ms Furniss continued: "The only people celebrating will be those who benefit from these terrible practices that will now remain legal - it just shows which side the Government is on."
Former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron told MPs: "The Government's Kept Animals Bill matters because how we treat animals and how we allow animals to be treated marks out what kind of people we are and what kind of country we are."
But the Tories hit back, accusing Labour of playing "political games".
Environment minister Trudy Harrison said: "There have been a number of attempts to widen the Bill during the passage beyond the commitments made in our manifesto... we are seeing yet more of this political game-playing today with the Opposition motion to take control of the order paper.
"That is not, it's absolutely not in the interests of animal welfare."
"The Kept Animals Bill was not in the manifesto," she said, saying outstanding animal welfare commitments would be achieved using single-issue bills, regulations and by "working with the industry".
She said the Government had introduced a "wide range of valuable reforms that make the difference to animal welfare" already, adding: "We will continue to take forward measures in the Kept Animals Bill successfully and swiftly during the remainder of this Parliament."
