Councillors ban pets as prizes on council owned land

Anthony Lewis – Local Democracy Reporter

A ban on using pets as prizes on council owned land and property has been accepted by councillors in Merthyr Tydfil.

A report accepted by full council on Wednesday, September 13 beneficial a direct voluntary ban of permitting animals as prizes from use of council owned land and property.

The ban will embrace occasions on council owned land and property hosted by the council and/or third events.

An instruction shall be given to all building managers inside the council and all council tenants shall be instructed in regards to the ban.

The council presently voluntarily declines requests to permit animals as prizes on council owned land and property and the report stated there may be presently no political choice supporting this.

The report added that in recent years there was growing concern about this observe from members of the general public and Welsh Government and that the RSPCA typically runs campaigns elevating issues and have lobbied Welsh Government calling for a Wales huge ban.

Control

There is not any present UK laws available to regulate this subject and it’s subsequently as much as every particular person council to think about the difficulty for themselves with 12 authorities in Wales having already launched a voluntary ban.

The report stated that since 2014, there have been quite a few instances reported to the RSPCA of stay animals being given as prizes in Wales.

Of these greater than half had been goldfish being given at fairgrounds; nonetheless different animals together with dogs, ducklings and horses had been additionally reported throughout this era.

Prize animals are regularly saved and transported in situations which don’t meet their wants, with this typically ensuing of their dying earlier than their new house owners may even get them home, the report added.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it’s an offence to offer an animal as a prize to anybody underneath the age of 16, besides inside the household context.

“Outdated”

The council report stated that RSPCA Cymru believes that this doesn’t go far sufficient, and advocates for a legislative transfer much like Scotland’s which makes it an offence for an animal to be given as a prize to anybody no matter their age, besides the place given inside the household context.

It stated: “Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council has the opportunity to ban the giving of live animals as prizes on Council owned land, ensuring the welfare of these animals is not compromised, as well as raising public awareness of the issue and leading the way on ending this outdated practice.”

In December 2019 and February 2020, the then minister for setting, power and rural affairs, Lesley Griffiths, wrote to all councils in Wales to ask whether or not there have been any formal or casual bans in place on using public land that stop the giving of animals as prizes.

The council report stated that while there may be presently no coverage supporting a ban in Merthyr, that is one thing the council has finished on a casual foundation for a while.

The enquiry from the minister has prompted the council to take a extra formal stance to the place in Merthyr in regulating use of council land and property.

Welfare

For occasions on non-public land, the council is ready to implement underneath the traditional animal welfare provisions the place intelligence is acquired.

In Wales twelve native authorities have already taken motion together with Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Conwy, Flintshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Torfaen, Vale of Glamorgan and Wrexham by introducing bans.

The report stated that the time period “voluntary ban” will not be legally enforceable and has no supporting laws however, if a voluntary ban is accepted, it may be included in council insurance policies and occupational agreements to be used of council land and property.