The Welsh Government must do more to protect animals

Mike Hedges – Member of the Senedd for Swansea East

How we treat animals is a sign of the type of society we are and want to be. If we allow animals to be mistreated either via ignorance or cruelty, then it reflects badly on us.

There is substantial evidence that a wide range of animals are sentient beings. This means they have the capacity to experience positive and negative feelings such as pleasure, joy, pain, and distress.

Progress has been made in recent years in Wales, we have passed a law on wild animals in circuses, one on banning snares and one making it compulsory for CCTV to be installed in all areas where live animals are unloaded, kept, handled, and stunned. A law banning greyhound racing is currently before the Senedd.

It is now illegal for a commercial seller to sell a puppy or kitten they have not bred themselves at their own premises and they must ensure the mother is present.

Puppies and kittens can only be purchased from where they were bred or from a rescue or rehoming centre.

Substantial progress has been made but there is a lot still to be done. I suggest microchipping cats, no tethering of horses, training people on how to look after a rabbit before they can own one, regulations on where animals are kept and bred, and banning the private ownership of primates.

Cats are roaming animals; that is why it is important to ensure that cats are microchipped in case they get lost or killed. We need compulsory microchipping of cats as a matter of urgency.

I do not believe that horse owners set out to mistreat their horse but unfortunately ignorance can lead to suffering. It is important that horses are not left tethered for long periods of time.

The Welsh Government’s Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses explicitly states that ‘tethering should never be used as a long-term measure to control horses as this can lead to a failure to meet a horse’s basic welfare needs.

The prevalence of poor tethering practices in Wales suggests that the Code of Practice’s reference to this issue is not effective, and I want more stringent guidance, change in enforcement practices and a change in legislation to better discourage and deter the long-term tethering of horses.

Responsibility

Owning and caring for a rabbit is a big responsibility and a long-term caring and financial commitment, it is the owner’s responsibility to make sure that the rabbit’s needs are met.

I believe before anyone is sold a rabbit, they should undertake a short online course on how to look after the rabbit culminating in an online test. The law requires that you must take reasonable steps to ensure that it has a suitable environment to live in; has a healthy diet; is able to behave normally; has appropriate company; and is protected from pain, suffering, injury, and disease.

I am opposed to individuals keeping primates such as monkeys as pets. estimates suggest 120 primates are currently kept as pets in Wales, this should be banned. For those already owned we need a legally enforceable statutory code with tough penalties to protect monkeys that are kept as pets.

We cannot continue to lose species and certainly not at the current rate. In Wales, one in three species are threatened with extinction and 51% of mammal species need urgent support.

Hedgehogs

The image of hedgehogs in our countryside is one we are all familiar with, but they are under significant threat as a result of a reduction to their natural habitat.

I believe we all have to do what we can to ensure that they breed safely and see their population grow. I hope that all landowners in Wales will take the needs of hedgehogs into consideration when planning use of land within their ownership.

We know that to promote good life and lengthy life in our hedgehogs, we need to promote the offering of good quality, meaty hedgehog food, meaty cat or dog food, or dried cat biscuits, and the provision of water. We need urgent action to protect what is an iconic Welsh species.

Concerns

I am pleased that we pride ourselves on being a nation of dog lovers and we should all have an interest in dog and animal welfare. I have a lot of correspondence on issues and concerns about the treatment of dogs including those left unattended in hot cars.

We need a much better framework for regulating dog breeding centres and need to regulate dog sanctuaries, rescue, and rehoming centres. There have been stories of awful conditions in some of these centres, and we cannot allow these centres to continue unregulated.

We owe animals a good life free from pain and discomfort; regulation of animal welfare centres by whatever name they go by will be a significant addition to the welfare of animals.

I welcome the legislation already passed, as well as legislation to ban greyhound racing but there is more to be done.

There is a need for proposals to strengthen dog breeding licensing conditions, in order to ensure comprehensive protection for male and female dogs and their offspring by introducing robust standards, and also proposals to regulate sanctuaries, rescue and rehoming centres, to protect animals from substandard levels of care and rogue operators.