Our for all political parties ahead of the 2016 Welsh Assembly election www.bluecross.org.uk
INTRODUCTION ABOUT US Sick, injured and homeless pets have relied on us since 1897. Abandoned or unwanted, ill or injured, pets turn to us for help every year. Our doors are always open to them, and with your support, they always will be. Each year, thousands of cats, dogs, small pets and horses turn to our animal hospitals, clinics and rehoming services for treatment and to fi nd them the happy homes they deserve. This Welsh Manifesto for Pets sets out our key pet welfare priorities for all political parties ahead of the 2016 Welsh Assembly elections. In recent years real progress has been made by the Welsh Government on animal welfare. Measures such as the Control of Horses (Wales) Act 2014, the newly tightened dog breeding regulations and The Microchipping of Dogs (Wales) Regulations 2015 which came into force in April have made, and will continue to make, a real difference for pets. 43 % OF WELSH HOUSEHOLDS OWN AT LEAST ONE ANIMAL 1
CRISIS POINT Abandoned at the roadside to fend for himself, Dougie is a typical victim of the horse welfare crisis. When he was brought to us, he was severely underweight and in a terrible condition, with a matted coat riddled with lice. We nursed him back to health and, after nine months, found him a happy home. As a charity we work hard to promote responsible pet ownership, whether it s by giving advice on health and welfare, training or choosing the right pet for your lifestyle. Blue Cross welcomed the Welsh Government s ban on electronic shock collars back in 2010. Wales remains the only country in the United Kingdom to have banned these devices which shows their commitment to improving animal welfare and promoting responsible ownership. We would however like to see the Welsh Government go further by banning other aversive training methods, including pinch and prong collars. Over the last two years we have seen an increasing number of fly grazed and abandoned horses across Wales. We were pleased the Welsh Government again took a lead by introducing the Control of Horses (Wales) Act 2014, which provided local authorities with greater powers when dealing with fly grazed and abandoned horses. This Act is already making a difference across Wales but we still feel more needs to be done to educate horse owners about responsible ownership. The Welsh Government should also ensure that all local authorities have the correct training and resources to be able to use the Act effectively. Organisations large and small rehome and rehabilitate thousands of pets on a daily basis up and down the country. However, with no regulation of such activities there are occasions where well-meaning individuals become overwhelmed and struggle to provide for the welfare needs of the animals in their care. There are over 90 animal sanctuaries in operation in Wales.2 Blue Cross would like to see statutory regulation to ensure all organisations provide the best possible care for pets and prevent further suffering when a facility is struggling to cope. & Methods of getting a pet are changing. Many people now go online to purchase a pet rather than to a high street pet store or from an ad in the local paper or pinned on a notice board. 81% of people in Wales have internet access and more and more of these people are now choosing the internet as a means to purchase their pets. The Pet Animals Act 1951, which governs the sale of pets, fails to make direct reference to online sales as it was written long before the advent of the internet. Defra has recently announced it will be looking to amend legislation to ensure it takes internet sales into account. We would like to see the Welsh Government follow suit and ensure that pet vending legislation is up to date and fit for purpose. We are seeing an increasingly diverse range of pets now being kept in the UK.3 We are concerned that the ready availability of exotic pets misrepresents the animals as easy to keep. Owners may lack the knowledge and expertise to provide the complex environment the animal needs. We believe that many of these exotic pets are not suitable to be kept in a home environment. We are asking the Welsh Government to commit to looking at this issue in more detail by commissioning a review of the exotic pet trade in Wales. AT THE CLICK OF A BUTTON Bear is lucky to be alive after being sold with her sister in an appalling state. The siblings were small and thin and, devastatingly, Bear s sister died within hours. Bear had sore eyes with an ulcer in one and a severe worm infestation. The pup bought from a classified website was too young to be separated from her mum. Sadly, thousands of puppies are sold in this way every year. Educating the pet owners of tomorrow is a challenge that Blue Cross takes extremely seriously. Our free talks are helping children and young people to become responsible pet owners of the future. Staying safe around dogs, responsible pet ownership and animal welfare are all life skills that every child in Wales should learn. We would like to see the Welsh Government make a commitment to this by making these mandatory school curriculum topics. Research shows that the earlier you teach children these life lessons, the more likely they are to take them on board and become the responsible pet owners of the future. 300,000 SCHOOL CHILDREN REACHED BY OUR EDUCATION TEAM IN TOTAL Blue Cross has concerns that enforcement of animal welfare legislation across Wales is a postcode lottery. Increasing cuts to budgets mean local authorities are being asked to do more and more with fewer resources. We d like to see the Welsh Government do more to help co-ordinate and share expertise among local authorities and to signpost to potential partnerships with the third sector in order to ensure pets across Wales are properly protected.
57,450 Animal welfare, staying safe around dogs and responsible ownership to become mandatory school curriculum topics YOUNG PEOPLE ATTENDED OUR EDUCATIONAL TALKS LAST YEAR WITH ANIMAL WELFARE BEING A FULLY DEVOLVED ISSUE THE WELSH ASSEMBLY HAS A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF PETS AND HELP PET OWNERS ACROSS WALES. 69% Government to promote animal welfare education programmes offered by the third sector 69% OF THE WELSH PUBLIC THINK THE WELSH GOVERNMENT SHOULD REGULATE SANCTUARIES IN WALES4 50, 0 0 0 Ban on other aversive training methods Effective implementation of the Control of Horses (Wales) Act 2014 THE NUMBER OF ADVERTS FOR ANIMALS FOR SALE ON ANY ONE CLASSIFIED SITE AT ANY ONE TIMEAAR UN ADEG Statutory regulation of sanctuaries and rehoming organisations 6,000 Review and amend Pet Animals Act 1951 to bring it up-to-date To undertake a review of breeding, trade and keeping of exotic pets across Wales ENFORCEMENT Welsh Government to commit to further the co-ordination and sharing of animal welfare expertise amongst local authorities AN ESTIMATED 6,000 HORSES ARE AT RISK IN ENGLAND AND WALES Welsh Government to signpost to the third sector in order to help protect pets WWW.BLUECROSS.ORG.UK WE CAN T STOP NOW. MUCH MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO MAKE SURE PETS ARE HAPPY AND HEALTHY.
BLUE CROSS PUBLIC AFFAIRS 7 Hugh Street, London SW1V 1QG 020 7932 4060 publicaffairs@bluecross.org.uk www.bluecross.org.uk ¹ Welsh Assembly Government. Social Research Division. (2011). National Survey for Wales, 2009-2010: Pilot Study. [data collection]. UK Data Service. SN: 6720, http://dx.doi.org/10.5255/ukda-sn-6720-1. 2 Animal Welfare Network Wales (2012). The case for the regulation of Animal Welfare Establishments in Wales. 3 Born Free Foundation & Blue Cross (2015). One Click Away: an investigation into the sale of exotic animals as pets. 4 Animal Welfare Network Wales Animal Welfare Establishments Sanctuaries Working Group (2016). The Case for the regulation of Animal Welfare Establishments Wales; Addendum to AWE Report. Available online at http://www.awnwales.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/addendum-to-awe-report-february-2016.pdf