Two more councils in Wales ban pets as prizes on their land

RSPCA Cymru has welcomed news that two additional councils in Wales have banned the giving out of pets as prizes on their land.

Bans by Swansea Council and Carmarthenshire County Council have taken the total number of local authorities in Wales who have taken action to 14 out of 22.

As part of its #NoFunAtTheFair campaign, the animal welfare charity is calling on for the practice to be banned – and has been campaigning for all councils in Wales to introduce their own local bans on their land.

So far since its 2023 June launch – 11,351 people have supported the RSPCA campaign which follows more than 8,325 throwing their support behind the issue in 2022.

In July, the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd, Lesley Griffiths MS welcomed RSPCA Cymru’s campaigning on this issue.

Swansea Council has now confirmed that a Notice of Motion was brought to the council in July which was passed and is now being enacted.

Carmarthenshire County Council has also informed the RSPCA that the offering of live animals as a prize can no longer take place at events on council owned land.

Action

Sioned Nikolic, RSPCA Cymru’s public affairs officer, said: “It is fantastic news to have Swansea and Carmarthenshire added to our list to make it 14 local authorities in total who have taken action.

“We’d like to thank everyone who has taken the time to fill out our campaign action and to the councillors too for their part in getting this over the line in their areas.

“The list is growing and we really do hope that soon we can say all 22 local authorities have banned this outdated practice.

“We know that this is something people care about – with many assuming it is already banned. Sadly, this practice can still take place on private land despite the council bans, so we would ultimately like to see pets being given away as prizes banned outrightly by the Welsh Government.”

Councillor Gareth John, cabinet member for regeneration, leisure, culture & tourism for Carmarthenshire County Council said: “I am glad to say that the practice of offering live animals as a prize cannot take place at events on County Council owned land. This condition is included in paragraph 3.7 of the ‘Funfair Agreement’.”

The 14 local authorities who have banned the practice so far are Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Conwy, Flintshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen, the Vale of Glamorgan and Wrexham. Some town and community councils have also initiated their own localised action.

Over the past few years (since 2020) there have been 42 reports – about pets being given as prizes made to the RSPCA; but the charity fears many incidents go unreported.