ANIMAL WELFARE BILL
February 1, 2006 3:27 PM
The Animal Welfare Bill, finally debated on 10 January, has been pushed back and back in favour of other mainly terrorism related business and I am pleased that MPs have now had the chance to debate the key aspects of it.
The need for this bill arises from the increasingly outdated provision currently in place for protecting animals. The existing main piece of legislation for domestic animals came into effect some 94 years ago and consolidated animal welfare laws from the 19th century.
This has since been supplemented by additional Acts which cover specific animal welfare areas such as dog breeding and performing animals. The Animal Welfare Bill aims to bring together all existing provision into one place and make it relevant to modern views on how animals deserve to be treated.
Importantly, it introduces a new "duty of care" on pet owners. This creates a long overdue expectation on people with pets to provide a good level of care and will allow inspectors from central and local government to intervene sooner in situations of inadequate treatment.
When I spoke to representatives from the RSPCA, they said they welcomed these powers. In the past, they have had to leave animals that are clearly in need because inspectors are very often hamstrung by their lack of prescribed authority and a fudged definition of animal cruelty.
The bill has had a very positive response from many of my constituents. As a rural area, animals are a particularly important part of many of our lives whether as pets or as part of the many outdoor pursuits we enjoy in Devon.
With the sad reality that not everyone is willing to put in the effort we all do to keep animals in a safe and positive environment, we must look to this Bill to make sure neglect and cruelty is stopped and punished appropriately when it occurs.
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