RSPCA Cymru welcomes 'landmark' animal welfare announcement
Currently, animal welfare establishments including rescues, sanctuaries and re-homing centres are not regulated in Wales.
This means that anyone can set up one, irrespective of their experience, skills, or resources.
The Welsh Government intends to develop proposals based on "clear feedback" from its consultation to regulate these establishments.
This follows years of campaigning by RSPCA Cymru, who found that 82 per cent of AWEs supported regulation.
RSPCA Cymru's senior public affairs manager, Billie-Jade Thomas, said: "This is a landmark milestone for animal welfare in Wales and follows our long-standing campaign calling for regulation.
"Many owners of sanctuaries and other animal welfare establishments undertake hugely important work, but the lack of regulation and oversight has long been a major concern for the RSPCA."
In 2023, RSPCA Cymru launched a report highlighting the "urgent need" for regulation, with 88 per cent of the Welsh public agreeing.
The report also revealed that only five per cent of the public were aware that AWEs are currently unregulated in Wales.
The Welsh Government will also consider regulating pet grooming, which is currently unregulated.
It is described as a "skilled and specialist activity".
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South Wales Argus
5 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
RSPCA Cymru welcomes 'landmark' animal welfare announcement
Currently, animal welfare establishments including rescues, sanctuaries and re-homing centres are not regulated in Wales. This means that anyone can set up one, irrespective of their experience, skills, or resources. The Welsh Government intends to develop proposals based on "clear feedback" from its consultation to regulate these establishments. This follows years of campaigning by RSPCA Cymru, who found that 82 per cent of AWEs supported regulation. RSPCA Cymru's senior public affairs manager, Billie-Jade Thomas, said: "This is a landmark milestone for animal welfare in Wales and follows our long-standing campaign calling for regulation. "Many owners of sanctuaries and other animal welfare establishments undertake hugely important work, but the lack of regulation and oversight has long been a major concern for the RSPCA." In 2023, RSPCA Cymru launched a report highlighting the "urgent need" for regulation, with 88 per cent of the Welsh public agreeing. The report also revealed that only five per cent of the public were aware that AWEs are currently unregulated in Wales. The Welsh Government will also consider regulating pet grooming, which is currently unregulated. It is described as a "skilled and specialist activity".
The Independent
7 hours ago
- The Independent
Dive-bombing seagulls behind Royal Mail delays, postal workers say
Aggressive seagulls are causing havoc for postal workers in Cornwall, who have had to abandon their routes due to 'safety issues'. Royal Mail has apologised to residents in Liskeard after the dive-bombing gulls forced staff to suspend their deliveries in the area. The postal service has offered locals alternative arrangements – including a safer delivery address away from the offending birds and mail being held in an office. It also suggested residents wait until the aggressive birds have calmed down and stopped protecting their young – but this could be at the end of the August. In a letter to residents, Royal Mail assured customers the situation would be monitored on a daily basis. The letter said: "As you may be aware, we are currently experiencing some difficulties safely delivering to you and your neighbour due to seagulls in the area, swooping at delivering staff in order to protect their young. "The purpose of this letter is to firstly advise you of the issues we are experiencing but also to assure you that we will continue to attempt deliveries every day." It added: "Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience this may cause but whilst Royal Mail is committed to providing a consistent daily delivery to addresses, we do place the highest priority on the safety of our employees." Seagulls typically raise their young from May to late August each year and in this period, they can be more aggressive. The RSPCA says that gulls that swoop suddenly on people or pets are often trying to protect their chicks and will stop when the person or animal has moved away from their young. However, this behaviour usually only lasts for a few weeks until the chicks have fledged and are able to protect themselves, according to the animal charity. One local in Liskeard, Naomi, told the BBC the gulls nest on her neighbouring property for six weeks every year – in this time she said it's 'sort of deadly to go out'. "It's really a daily occurrence where I'm seeing people that are walking by or delivering things getting swooped,' she said. Another resident told The Telegraph: 'These birds are so terrible for being so protective of their young. Something has got to be done about these birds to stop them attacking humans.' However, others suggested the posties should just wear a hat or a safety helmet.
Wales Online
9 hours ago
- Wales Online
Rare shark caught at Welsh beach while people were swimming
Rare shark caught at Welsh beach while people were swimming A former soldier hooked a 28lb tope shark at Coney Beach in Porthcawl Darren had went out for a short one hour fishing session, when he realised he had caught something big (Image: Darren Gregory ) Days after an angler caught a rare 40lb shark, another local fisherman has captured a second from the same species. Darren Gregory, 42 an ex-serviceman with the Royal Welsh was out fishing at the Coney Beach in Porthcawl, at around 9am today when he caught the 27lb tope shark. Just as he pulled the shark out of the water, he could see people swimming in the water at the popular Welsh beauty spot. Before he caught the shark, Darren, who now works as a wind-turbine technician had already caught a bass and a smalleyed ray. Darren with his impressive catch (Image: Darren Gregory ) 'I caught a 7lb bass and I had a small ray. I turned around to release the bass and my rod started running off with the reel,' Darren said. 'So I looked into it and next thing you know a bl**dy shark fin came out of the water. 'I walked down and managed to get it onto the rocks and I lifted it out the water and I weighed it, obviously, and it was 28lb.' Article continues below Darren was introduced to fishing at the age of 10 by his father, who he says was a 'fanatical fisherman.' However, this is not the place he usually finds sharks. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here 'I'm a regular fisherman. I normally go down west for the sharks,' he said. 'But because I'd seen in Wales Online that there were sharks being caught around our coast, I went down just fishing normally, and I ducked into one. It was like a torpedo and it started going out to sea.' Darren's eight-pound catch (Image: Darren Gregory ) Darren was convinced that it was a shark at the other end of the line as soon as he hooked it, and had to work extra hard to catch it. 'Once I hooked into it, I knew it was a shark and my heart was up and I had a bit of nerves going on as you do when you're fishing, that's why we do it, but I enjoyed it,' Darren said. 'With a shark, you've just got to hold on and hope it doesn't take all the line. 'It's the way you play it, you've got your drag which you've got to set and then if the fish runs, and it takes a line, then you're able to reel in and catch up with the fish and keep the tension on.' Darren usually goes to west Wales to catch sharks but says they're being sighted closer to home these days. 'There seem to be a lot coming from our shores locally now, but yes, it was a shock to get it local because I mean I'm only two minutes up the road, I just went out for an hour session that's all,' he said. 'They're not the type of sharks that'll harm anyone anyway, it's just that to see them in this close is very rare.' Darren with the smalleyed ray that he caught (Image: Darren Gregory ) Darren stresses that it is important to release sharks back into the water if and when they are caught. 'The only advice I got is to just hold on and make sure that the fish goes back without any harm. There's no need to harm the fish. I mean they're just here for the feed anyway, but we do it for the sport,' Darren said. 'That's the place they live. What's the point in harming a fish that's just out to feed. 'This is where they live but a lot of people, a lot of fishermen target these fish, and it's a trophy fish at the end of the day. That's why it's such a lovely, lovely species, just to see it and hold it. It is quite a proud moment to catch a fish like that and then to see a release knowing that it's going to fight another day.' Article continues below Last week, a Swansea angler, Alex McGlynn caught a tope shark off the Swansea Bay . He too, was concerned with the shark being found so close inshore, and believed that overfishing and climate change might be to blame.
