3. What action is the Welsh Government taking to regulate dog breeding in Wales? OQ56814

Thank you. The Animal Welfare (Breeding of Dogs) (Wales) Regulations 2014 regulate dog breeding in Wales. The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Wales) Regulations 2021 prohibit commercial third party sales of puppies from licensed premises. The Welsh Government is funding a three-year local authority project to improve consistency and enforcement of the current regulations.

Thank you, Minister. I welcome the new rules, informally known as Lucy's law, which came into force last Friday, surrounding puppy and kitten breeding in Wales, and I pay tribute to the many organisations, individuals, including my colleague Janet Finch-Saunders, and many across this Chamber who've campaigned for these improvements and changes. While these rules arrive on our statute books some 18 months later than our neighbours', I'm sure that they will be a valuable tool in the fight to eradicate puppy farms, moving forward. Minister, with local authorities being empowered with these new tools, what reassurances can you give that local authorities won't see this as an additional financial burden? And what consideration has been given to providing formal powers to RSPCA inspectors under the Animal Welfare Act 2006? 

Well, just for the record, whilst we were later than England in relation to this, we went beyond Lucy's law. That's why it's not called Lucy's law; we went beyond that, and ours is far stronger. You will have heard my answer to Vikki Howells—I think it was question 1—around how we have been working. We haven't just been sitting back waiting for these regulations to come into force; we've been working with our local authorities. We funded the three-year project, which is still ongoing, which enhances the training and better guidance for inspectors, and it really improves resources within local authorities. I don't think any of them thought it would be more of a cost. We are continuing to work with the enforcement project, and Monmouthshire County Council is looking at how we set up a database so that members of the public can access the licensing rules and the breeders that they are able to go to, and to provide information, as I say, for purchasers. I understand they went out to tender earlier this year, and those tenders are currently being processed. But I think a database of that quality would be really good, going forward. 

It's encouraging to know that there is movement in ending the abhorrent practice of ear cropping dogs. Ear cropping is linked to unlicensed breeders, especially of American bully type dogs, and local rescues, such as Hope Rescue in Llanharan, are inundated with reports of ear-cropped dogs and have concerns around current resources to investigate complaints, especially when also linked with unlicensed breeding. For example, it took seven months to bring one breeder to justice, and I'm told that there have been 30 unlicensed breeders with ear-cropped dogs reported to one local authority recently. I'm sure the Minister, like me, wants to see such practices resigned to the history books here in Wales, and I would be grateful if she would be able to update Members on what actions the Welsh Government are taking to address the resource gap reported by rescues across Wales, specifically when it come to ear cropping.

Again, I haven't really heard of the increase in ear cropping of dogs investigations that you refer to, but if you do have some specific examples of it, I'd be very keen for you to write to me so I can take it up with the chief veterinary officer and ask her to look into it. I think it is fair to say that a lot of the legislation, which isn't devolved—I mean, some of it is; some of it isn't—but certainly some of the legislation that's reserved, is not fit for purpose, around particularly our rural crime that we're seeing. I've had discussions—I mean, we've now got a rural and wildlife crime commissioner, but prior to that—with some of the rural teams in relation to this. So, I have been ensuring officials work with the UK Government to make sure that legislation is fit for purpose. But I would be grateful if you could write to me specifically on this point, please.

I have a rescue greyhound. Every year, young and healthy greyhound dogs are killed because they lack winning potential, were injured while they were racing, or are no longer competitive. Racing greyhounds routinely experience terrible injuries on the track, such as broken legs, cardiac arrest, spinal cord paralysis and broken necks. My own dog has a very injured neck, for example, so I can speak from experience. They also suffer off the track, spending most of their time stacked in warehouse-style kennels. Minister, given the level of cruelty to greyhounds, I hope the Government can move to consider a ban on greyhound racing here in Wales. Could you please make a statement on your position on banning greyhound racing in Wales? Thank you. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Thank you, and it's great that you have a rescue dog. Certainly, when I was at the Dogs Trust last week—no, the week before, sorry—promoting our ban on third party sales, there were several greyhounds at the dog rescue. I probably shouldn't tell you that, because you'll be going round there. We did have a discussion around the number, because it was very obvious how many were there. I will have to write to the Member on the current position in relation to greyhounds.FootnoteLink

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