PROPOSED new animal welfare laws affecting pet owners and livestock keepers received unanimous support in the States yesterday.
Environment Minister Steve Luce brought forward a new draft law, saying that there was widespread recognition that the Island’s existing law, enacted in 2004, was no longer adequate.
Animals were “part of the fabric of the Island’s rural and domestic life”, Deputy Luce stated, with a need to provide greater levels of protection, including stronger enforcement powers for inspectors.
Deputy Hilary Jeune, chair of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny, highlighted the case of animals seized from the Happy Hooves equestrian centre in St Saviour.
“Unfortunately in recent days we have seen this restrictive [existing] law play out in practice, prompting understandable public concern highlighting the real world consequences and limitations of the current framework,” she said.
Deputy Jeune later confirmed that her panel would be “calling” in the draft law for analysis prior to the next stage of the debate, echoed the limitations of the existing law.
Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham said the law was “a significant and very necessary step forward” which would “move from a system that reacts after harm [to animals] has taken place to one where early intervention would prevent the harm.
Deputy Alex Curtis said he regretted the bureaucracy that would mean a family who kept two pigs in their garden needed to licence the animals, but Deputy Luce said animal welfare was as important in such a context as at a dairy farm with hundreds of cattle in its herd.
There was also concern about whether farmers could be charged if their livestock strayed beyond the place where they were kept. Deputy Luce said that the only offence would be if an owner declined to follow advice from officials after such an incident had taken place.
Members voted 46-0 in favour of the draft law in principle.
Following the Scrutiny review, the final stages of the debate are scheduled for the final sitting of the current term, starting on Tuesday 24 March.
