'The pandemic has escalated a number of offences against animals'

MP for Alyn and Deeside

As a pet owner and animal lover, animal welfare is an issue close to my heart, as my parliamentary track record demonstrates. The pandemic has escalated a number of offences against animals, including pet abandonment and animal abuse. This is completely unacceptable and must be met with a tough response. On Tuesday, I had a positive meeting with Cats Protection to discuss tackling animal welfare issues, as well as my ongoing animal welfare projects.

Last year, I campaigned against puppy smuggling, as well as offering a number of contributions throughout the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill – pushing for tougher sentences on animal abusers. However, since many issues surrounding animal welfare and crime are devolved, animal welfare is particularly important in the upcoming Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and Senedd elections. The Police are in charge of the animal crime budget - it is essential that we have a Police and Crime Commissioner who takes animal crime seriously. Severe instances of animal cruelty must be met with equally appropriate punishment. I believe the best candidate for this is Andy Dunbobbin, a close colleague of mine, who I have worked alongside for years and shares my views on the importance of tackling animal crime.

Illegal fox hunting also remains a major issue. The Hunting Act (2004) banned the use of dogs to hunt foxes and wild mammals. 85% of British people support this ban. The breed of dog used is deliberately slow to enjoy the chase and this prolongs the animal's suffering. The Tory Government must not be allowed to use their majority to bring about the return of this unpopular practice.

On 9 February, I launched an early day motion (EDM 1477) in Parliament against the use of animal glue traps. I was pleased to meet with the Humane Society this week to discuss the ongoing campaign. Glue traps are a cruel form of pest control, where a sticky layer is used to catch and trap rodents. Trapped animals can take days to die, usually starving or suffocating slowly. While the main targets of these traps are mice and rats, often other animals suffer, with birds, cats, rabbits and frogs being among the victims. Animals sometimes rip off limbs in attempts to free themselves. A lot of the time they are in a huge amount of pain. Glue traps are inhumane and unnecessary – there are plenty of less cruel ways of removing pests, that don't put pets at risk. I am pleased to have received the support of the RSPCA and Humane Society on this and hope to continue gaining momentum in the coming weeks.

A significant animal conservation issue is trophy hunting imports, which I have signed an early day motion against (EDM 50). Killing animals to display their heads, horns, antlers or hides as 'trophies' is unjustifiable and pushes endangered wildlife closer to extinction. A 2016 report, by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, found that at least 1.7 million animal 'trophies' were traded between countries over the previous decade. Of this number, 200,000 trophies were from threatened species. That is why I support ending the import of wild animal trophies from threatened species. I believe that any ban should cover all species above 'least concern' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, which would include species classed as vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered and extinct in the wild.