CONCERNS have been raised about the impact of proposed new animal-welfare laws on farmers and pet businesses.
The Jersey Farmers’ Union has warned that the new laws could criminalise routine agricultural practices and local pet-care business Spotted Wellies said that the proposed licensing system could place an unfair burden on small operators
Both submitted concerns to the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel as part of its review of the Draft Animal Welfare (Jersey) Law, which would replace the existing 2004 legislation.
Spotted Wellies provides dog walking, home boarding, pet sitting and other animal-care services.
A submission written on behalf of the company said “the intention behind the draft law is a good one” but raised concerns about “how some of the proposals will work in real life for small businesses”.
One of the key worries raised by Spotted Wellies was the lack of clarity around the proposed licensing system. The submission notes that much is left to future guidance, making it difficult for businesses to plan.
“It isn’t completely clear how the new rules would apply day to day,” the submission said, adding that it would be helpful to know “which services will need a licence, what the costs might be, how often licences would need renewing”, and “how inspections would work”.
Meanwhile, the Jersey Farmers’ Union said the draft animal-welfare law risks placing disproportionate burdens on farmers and has been developed with inadequate consultation.
“Due to a lack of consultation in the drafting/preparatory stage there appears to be an awful lot to consider,” wrote president Douglas Richardson, adding that the legislation appeared to be being “pushed through with a very poor consultation and very limited justification”.
One of the the union’s biggest concerns relates to new provisions dealing with straying livestock.
Under the draft law, inspectors would be able to take action where animals stray into public places, and farmers could face criminal penalties if they fail to secure animals or comply with improvement notices. The union said this could make farmers liable for circumstances beyond their control.
Jersey Farmers’ Union member Aaron Le Couteur warned that “the new provisions on ‘straying animals will make having an old fence a criminal liability”.
He described this as a “serious overstep and stretch of animal welfare legislation” that risks “criminalising an inherent reality of farming”.
