Animal welfare
Animal welfare
The Animal Welfare web pages provide information on:
- Animal Welfare Act 2006
- Guidance on welfare in transport regulations
- Guidance on domestic and farm animal welfare
The livestock welfare page is a guide to the Welsh Assembly Government commitment to ensure that the welfare standards of farm animals during transport, at markets and at slaughter are improved and maintained. This section also contains information on companion/domestic animal welfare.
Latest News
Wednesday 25 June - Wales proposes a ban electric training devices for pets
Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones has announced a proposed ban on the use of electric training aids. The ban would include shock collars and is a result of concerns about unnecessary suffering to pet animals.
A number of different electronic training aids are currently on sale and are mainly used on dogs. Some are designed to give the animal an electric shock in response to a particular undesirable behaviour.
The Minister has assessed responses to a Welsh Assembly Government consultation regarding the issue which expressed arguments for and against a ban on the devices.
Elin Jones said:
"This has not been an easy subject to examine. There is genuinely a large degree of concern about how these devices are improperly used, in contrast to responses from people who have used them and found they have worked in stopping an animal from misbehaving.
After giving due consideration to the arguments, I propose to introduce a ban on the use of electric shock collars in Wales. We will examine the possibility of certain restricted uses under veterinary and professional supervision and for controlled boundary fences".
The Welsh Assembly Government will produce, and consult on, draft detailed Regulations to introduce the proposed ban. They will give further consideration to whether the sale and possession of electric shock collars should be included in the ban.
The ban would be the first of its kind in the UK.
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