It's a pleasure to take part in the debate this afternoon. As a nation of pet lovers, we should have the most stringent animal welfare standards in the world. Sadly, the reality is far from it. As with many things, the Welsh Government has good intentions. Its animal welfare plan, while widely welcomed, even on this side of the Chamber, lacks any sense of urgency. It's a step in the right direction but a step behind other UK nations. As the Companion Animal Welfare Group Wales highlight, delays in implementing standards for rescue and rehoming centres risk the loopholes that exist in current legislation being exploited, to the detriment of companion animals. We need tough welfare measures to ensure companion animals are protected.

Whilst the vast majority of companion animals are well looked after, there are still those who mistreat animals, sometimes through malice, but often simply because they are unable to cope, which is why we have nearly 100 animal sanctuaries in Wales in the first place. Neglect can often happen because pet owners were simply unprepared for pet ownership. The pandemic, together with its work-from-home restrictions saw an explosion in companion animal ownership. Dog ownership saw a massive increase. People seeking companionship brought a new dog or cat into their lives, but as the economy started to open back up, so did the return to the office. Animals went from having their owners around 24/7 to being abandoned for half the day. Many new owners couldn't cope, and we saw a massive uptake in demand for rehoming services—rehoming services that are largely unregulated and unmonitored.

While the vast majority of these animal sanctuaries provide a vital service and maintain high welfare standards, sadly not all do. Sanctuaries and rescues are not subject to regulation, which essentially means that anyone can set one up, regardless as to whether they have the skills or resources needed to care for animals. Even well-run sanctuaries can fail. In my hometown of Prestatyn, a rescue centre that had been operating for decades—the Abandoned Animals Association—recently went out of business, leading to many animals needing to be urgently rehomed, yet there is nothing stopping me setting up a sanctuary tomorrow, if I wanted to. However, a worse proposition than me running a cat or dog home is allowing an unlicensed cat or dog breeder to operate a rescue centre in order to hide their real modus operandi.

To bypass the laws prohibiting third-party sales of kittens and puppies, we are behind the rest of the UK in taking steps to close this loophole, just as we are behind when it comes to microchipping kittens. If the Welsh Government has more than good intentions, it must take action to protect the welfare of companion animals in Wales. After all, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, but heaven is built on good works. Companion animals need us to act on their behalf, and I urge Members to support our motion this afternoon. Thank you very much.