Much to debate in election campaign Animals will benefit from Lucy’s Law

ON THIS St David’s Day we are focusing on the Senedd election due in just two months’ time – arguably the most important test of public opinion on the state of our democracy since devolution began in 1999.

As a result of Covid-19 and Brexit, Wales is facing huge economic challenges. Some businesses have closed and many are teetering on the brink.

What kind of Covid recovery plan would provide our country with the best chance of bouncing back with the minimum of lasting damage?

We have seen the problems caused to Welsh companies by the departure of the UK from the European Single Market and Customs Union.

Who should be held to account for this and are there any practical initiatives the Welsh Government could take to make things better?

The election campaign gives all of us the opportunity to seek answers.

In past elections to what was the National Assembly, turnout never reached 50%.

It would be good if in this first election for the institution now known as the Senedd, that particular hurdle was overcome.

There is no reason why that shouldn’t be the case.

In past elections, many have taken the decision not to vote because somehow they saw the National Assembly as not relevant to their lives. Such an argument has always been weak, given that the vast majority of public services in Wales are funded and overseen by the Welsh Government.

But in the past year, the argument has become thoroughly untenable, given the huge amount of control over our lives that has been exercised by our devolved government.

Had the power not been used for the most altruistic of reasons – to save lives – the authorities enforcing the rules could rightly have been accused of infringing our human rights.

It’s wholly appropriate, therefore, that the election should provide us with an opportunity to debate the way the pandemic has been handled and whether our politicians have undertaken their responsibilities as well as could have been expected.

For the first four terms of the National Assembly, the length of the term was four years. It was then extended to five years – too long, we tend to think.

It’s therefore all the more important that the people of Wales pay attention to what our politicians are promising and decide who they trust to deliver the best possible outcomes for our communities, for our nation.

Meanwhile, we wish everyone a happy St David’s Day.

I HAVE continued to call for Lucy’s Law to be brought into Wales and am very pleased that the Welsh Government has committed to doing so before the end of March 2021. Lucy’s Law is a campaign, named after a rescue Cavalier King Charles spaniel called Lucy, who was heavily bred under poor conditions.

When Lucy was rescued from a Welsh puppy farm, she was suffering. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’s hips had fused together, she had a curved spine, bald patches and epilepsy after years of mistreatment. She’d been kept in a cage much of her life and was no longer able to have puppies.

Dogs like Lucy are often kept by breeders to produce litters of puppies, which are then taken from their mothers at four or five weeks old. The ban would mean that pet shops, pet dealers and other outlets and licensed sellers of puppies would be unable to sell these pets, unless they themselves had bred them, improving accountability and allowing potential purchasers to see the dog in its “home” environment.

The Welsh Government published a consultation, Third-Party Sales of Puppies and Kittens, in February 2019. The majority of respondents to the consultation felt that a ban would have a positive effect. Some organisations and individuals felt that a third-party ban would need to be part of a package of measures to avoid any unintended consequences of the ban. During the coronavirus pandemic, the issue has not been deprioritised and the government are drafting regulations.

The proposed changes to commercial third-party sales of puppies and kittens in Wales goes beyond the Lucy’s Law campaign and the legislation introduced in England. The campaign for Lucy’s Law is based on concerns for the welfare of cats and dogs. A ban would prevent the removal of puppies for sale from their mother and the rest of the litter at a young age. The Wales Animal Health and Welfare Framework Group review found a link between third-party sellers and poor welfare at the breeding establishment.

The campaign argues that thirdparty sales create additional risks for consumers and public health and safety, due to the potential purchase of unwell and unsocialised puppies. How we treat our pets says a lot about us, many claim we are an animal loving country, we need the law changed to prove we are.

Mike Hedges MS

Swansea East