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Guidance published to protect animal welfare
Wales is the first country in the UK to publish guidance on the welfare of dogs, cats and horses in a bid to inform people of the responsibility, time and cost involved in caring for an animal properly.
L-R Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones, Chief Veterinary Officer
for Wales Dr Christianne Glossop, and Lizzie Ellis from the Donkey Sanctuary,
with Woody the donkey.
Cases of animal cruelty and abandonment continue to rise, which suggests that not all prospective pet owners have considered carefully the responsibilities associated with looking after an animal.
Recent figures from the RSPCA show that cruelty investigations rose from 105,000 in 2003 to just below 140,000 in 2007 in Wales and England. Other animal
welfare charities, such as the Dogs Trust, have also seen a rise in the number of animals they must care for.
 The
Codes of Practice for Dogs, Cats and Equines (which includes horses and donkeys)
have all-party support at the National Assembly for Wales and have been produced
following extensive consultation and are welcomed by animal welfare groups. They
are practical guides for people who own, or are thinking of getting a dog, cat
or horse.
 Launching
the Codes at Greenmeadow Community Farm, Rural Affairs Minister
Elin
Jones said: “There may be people who will wonder why guidance is needed
on the welfare of pet animals. The sad truth is that while many people will care
for their pet and provide them with a safe home for their lifetime far too many
animals are subjected to cruel treatment and are abandoned. Cruelty figures continue
to rise and we only have to look at reports in the media to see that this is
a very real issue. Local authorities also face costs by pursuing cruelty cases
through the courts, funding which could be used for other things.
"Taking
on a pet is a big responsibility. There are costs involved, such as feeding and
vet fees, as well as the time that is needed to look after them properly. These
guides set out what is expected if someone is considering having a pet.
 “Christmas is a time when some parents may feel pressurised to buy a
pet for their children without perhaps realising the financial and long-term
commitment of this decision. I would urge anyone thinking of having a pet to
check these guides and see if they can, in all honesty, provide the care that
is needed for the animal.”
Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Christianne Glossop
said: “Keeping a pet is
a privilege not a right, they need a great deal of care and it is the case that
not everyone realises that a commitment is needed when taking on a pet. These
guides aim to be a definitive explanation of what you need to consider before
having a pet.”
 Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “The
Kennel Club has been heavily involved in drafting these codes and in general, we think
that these codes represent a positive step forward in this area. We congratulate
the Welsh Assembly Government on being the first administration in the UK to
implement these codes, and we hope this will provide owners with a greater understanding
of their duty of care under the Animal Welfare Act.”
 Clarrisa
Baldwin OBE, chief executive of the Dogs
Trust said: “Dogs Trust
welcomes the implementation of the Code of Practice for dogs. Anything that can
be done to improve the public’s knowledge of how dogs should be kept is
very important as many welfare problems we encounter are the result of ignorance
rather than deliberate neglect. Dogs Trust will be using the Codes to help advise
people adopting dogs from our Centre in Bridgend to provide good care for their
dogs.”
 Maggie Roberts, Director of Veterinary Services at Cats Protection,
said: “Cats
Protection is very pleased that Wales has led the way in producing the Code of
Practice for the Welfare of Cats. It is a positive step forward to ensure that
all cats have their physical and emotional needs met.”
 Roly
Owers, Chief Executive of World
Horse Welfare - the new name of the International League
for the Protection of Horses (ILPH), said: “World
Horse Welfare welcomes the Welsh Assembly Government’s new Code of Practice
for the Welfare of Equines. The Code is a critical element of the Animal Welfare
Act 2006 as it sets a baseline for meeting the needs of all horses. It provides
helpful advice for existing and potential horse owners, as well as greatly assisting
the authorities should problems arise. It is encouraging that Wales have taken
the initiative in developing this Code, which I hope will be a valuable tool
in protecting the welfare of horses.”
Notes
- The Codes have been prepared under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Similar
codes are being prepared in England and Scotland, which will be based on those
produced in Wales.
- There are approximately 7.3million dogs and 9 million cats in Great
Britain. The Equine industry is worth an estimated £300 - £400 million
in Wales.
- Farm animals are already subject to Codes of Practice and the Animal
Welfare Act provides the same protection for pet animals.
Under the animal health act every animal keeper is required to report any
suspicions of a notifiable disease to animal health. Contact details are below:
Caernarfon
(Unitary Authorities of Anglesey, Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, Aberconwy
and Colwyn, Denbyshire, Flintshire, Wrexham, Northern Powys)
Address: Animal Health Divisional Office
Crown Building,
Penrallt
Caernarfon,
Gwynedd
LL55 1EP
Tel: 01286 674144
Fax: 01286 674626
Email: ah.caernarfon@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk
Cardiff
(Unitary Authorities of Swansea, Neath & Port Talbot, Bridgend, Vale of Glamorgan,
Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda-Cynon-Taff, Caerphilly, Blaneau Gwent, Torfaen,
Newport, Monmouthshire, Southern Powys)
Address: Animal Health Divisional Office
Government Buildings
66 Ty Glas Road,
Llanishen,
Cardiff
CF14 5ZB
Tel: 029 2076 8500
Night line: 029 2076 8500
Fax: 029 2076 8510
Email: ah.cardiff@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk
Carmarthen
(Unitary Authorities of Cardinganshire, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire)
Address: Animal Health Divisional Office
Ty Merlin,
Heol Glasdwr
Parc Pensarn,
Carmarthen
SA31 2NJ
Tel: 01267 245400
Night line: 07000 780144
Fax: 01267 245500
Email: ah.carmarthen@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk
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