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RSPCA urges Westminster to follow Welsh Government’s lead on fly grazing legislation

RSPCA urges Westminster to follow Welsh Government’s lead on fly grazing legislation

The RSPCA is delighted that AMs in the Welsh Government have voted unanimously in support of the Welsh Government’s Control of Horses (Wales) Bill but is again urging Westminster to follow suit and prevent the horse crisis escalating across the country.

The new legislation, which will seek Royal Assent in early 2014, will equip local authorities in Wales with additional powers to tackle fly grazing and abandonment problems which can have severe consequences for animal welfare and community safety.

The announcement comes at a time when equine problems in England and Wales are at crisis point and although any legislation is a positive step forward, it does not provide all the answers to the equine crisis, the scale of which was highlighted in a report by six equine welfare charities launched earlier in the year – www.rspca.org.uk/leftontheverge

Around 6,500 animals (approximately 3,000 in Wales) are still thought to be at risk with issues of traceability, identification, irresponsible ownership and tethering all needing continued action from government decision makers.

RSPCA head of public affairs, David Bowles said:  “We are delighted that this legislation is now set to become a reality although it is not a full panacea for the horse crisis.

“This problem does not just affect Wales, however – we need action and a solution across the whole of the UK.

“We have around 800 abused or abandoned horses in our care and we are working with hundreds more that need our help but we have nowhere for them to go.

“What we need is better legislation and enforcement to track down irresponsible owners; education for those who leave their animals to indiscriminately breed and more flexibility for local authorities to provide us with even more help to deal with the numbers of horses left to breed, graze, suffer and often die on other peoples’ land.”

You can help the RSPCA to care for more rescue horses by sponsoring a stable at http://choices.rspca.org.uk/Appeal/sponsor-a-stable-block

You can also find out more about rehoming a rescue horse at http://www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/horses/rehoming

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