<p>Animal Welfare</p>

Part of 1. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:14 pm on 7 March 2017.

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Photo of Bethan Sayed Bethan Sayed Plaid Cymru 2:14, 7 March 2017

On the wider issue of animal cruelty, obviously, it’s widely established that cruelty to animals is considered a gateway behaviour to violence against people. Many of those perpetrators, I’m sure, as with other things, would deny their responsibility in these acts of violence, but what are you doing to consider this as part of wider animal abuse legislation? And would you support the call that I and others in this Chamber have asked of your animal welfare Minister to have an animal abuse register for Wales, because if we can track these perpetrators who are taking part in this violence against animals at this early stage, if they then go on to perpetrate against people, then we can try and deflect from the seriousness of the potential things that they may do in these positions? So, I would urge you to consider this seriously and to carry out research in this area.