The RSPCA are focused on animal rights, animal welfare and protection against cruelty, and it’s not just their hands on care they offer, they also get involved politically where they can. They’ve just announced a manifesto and spoken to Senedd Members about it, hoping to put it at the top of their minds once campaigning starts for the next Senedd Election.
00:00Yeah, absolutely. We've had a really, really positive reception and some really lovely feedback from parties because animal welfare is something that unites everyone. We all care about animals, no matter which party, which political landscape we're from, everybody does. It's a uniting topic as opposed to a divisive one, which usually happens in politics.
00:21So, yeah, it's been really nice to talk to them about our manifesto and encouraging them to obviously look into it deeper when we share it with them later.
00:28And we now look forward to hopefully seeing our ask within their manifestos as they're shaped over the summer and the coming months.
00:34The RSPCA are one of the biggest animal welfare charities across Wales and the rest of the UK, and they play a big role in animal rights and combating animal cruelty, not just in their hands-on role, but also politically.
00:46They're in the Senate to announce their manifesto, talk to politicians, and I hope that their message will resonate and encourage whoever is part of the next Welsh Government to take their ideas on board.
00:57So, we're here today in the Senate to launch our manifesto for next year's election. It's called Securing a Better Future for Animal Welfare in Wales.
01:04So, there's been some fantastic progress made for animals in Wales over the last Senate term, and we very much want to see this continued and developed post-2026's election.
01:13We are therefore calling on all political parties in Wales, those who will form the next Senate and the next Welsh Government, to join us in creating a better Wales for every kind of animal.
01:24That's from companion animals, farmed animals, wild animals, and all in between.
01:28Our six-point plan, as featured in our new manifesto, has legislative actions relevant to all of those that we very much hope to see in party manifestos when they are published,
01:38and we urge all parties to work with us to make sure that we are able to continue making progress for our fellow beings in Wales.
01:46They have a number of different points in their manifesto, everything from banning certain farming practices to making pet theft a specific crime in itself,
01:53but also want to be given powers to take animals in danger out of cruel situations from their owners to help keep them safe,
02:00and save on police and local authority services.
02:02So we very much like to see our inspectors given limited statutory powers under the Animal Welfare Act,
02:08because not many people know that we can't just go into properties and seize animals that are suffering.
02:12We are heavily reliant on the police and local authorities, and sometimes that just means bringing them out just to sign a warrant.
02:18That takes them away from their important duties while leaving vulnerable animals in limbo for longer.
02:23So by giving our inspectors statutory powers, such as being able to serve welfare notices, access animals in certain places, and seize animals from certain situations,
02:33that would really help us to be there for more animals while relieving the burden on public services.
02:39So we hope to see that featured in manifestos.
02:41Devolution is a very complex web of laws, and despite England and Wales being a legal entity in its own right,
02:47there are a number of parts of English laws that don't apply to Wales.
02:51And one quirk of the Welsh system is that keeping primates as pets is perfectly legal in Wales,
02:56something the RSPCA wants stopped immediately.
