RSPCA officers should be able to acquire a warrant

MS for North Wales

I’m sure many of you reading this will have pets. They bring so much joy, and they become an important part of the family.

They deserve to be loved and cherished, but in too many cases that is not happening; there are times when terrible abuse happens towards animals.

That’s why this week, Welsh Conservatives are launching a policy which would give the RSPCA statutory powers in order to help prevent cruelty against animals.

We believe that RSPCA officers should be able to acquire a warrant and then enter outbuildings on private land, and importantly remove animals from situations where cruelty is happening.

That isn’t the case at the moment, and I firmly believe that this change will play a big part in improving animal welfare across Wales.

I am pleased that the RSPCA are endorsing our policy, saying that it “would better equip our officers to undertake their highly-important duties”.

We would use the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to grant RSPCA Inspectors those powers – it’s a relatively simple step, but one that would make a big difference for animals in need.

The statistics show that cruelty against animals is still a problem across Wales and the rest of the United Kingdom.

For example, an RSPCA report showed a 23% increase in attacks on animals across England and Wales using weapons in 2023 compared with the previous year.

Up to June 30th, the RSPCA has received 3,059 cruelty reports in Wales with 721 of them in North Wales. Wrexham had 121 of those, with Flintshire on 143.

Sadly, those numbers will have increased since the end of June and it really is shocking that people would treat animals in such a way.

That’s why our Welsh Conservative policy is so important. The statistics demonstrate why we need those RSPCA Inspectors to have those powers, backed up by the law, to save animals from horrendous abuse so they can begin to live fulfilling lives in a caring environment.

I call on the Welsh Government to adopt this policy in order to better protect and help animals in need.

As ever, if you have any queries or issues you’d like to raise with me, then you can get in touch by emailing sam.rowlands@senedd.wales