A JOINED-UP approach would improve enforcement of welfare laws, and licensing activity, it is thought.
Representatives of the British Horse Society (BHS), World Horse Welfare, the RSPCA and National Equine Welfare Council, and vets, police and MPs, were at a meeting organised by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare (APGAW) on 28 March. They discussed improving enforcement, including licensing of animal activities.
It was agreed that law can do little to improve welfare without effective enforcement. The APGAW report identified concerns with enforcement and suggested a new model.
“There is not much evidence of joint working, and there are limited resources, inconsistent expertise and lack of training,” said APGAW policy advisor Marisa Heath, who called for a legal requirement for local authorities to use “dedicated animal welfare officers”, shared…
