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Tuesday, 02 January 2007
Welsh Assembly consults on tail docking
The Welsh Assembly is set to follow in the footsteps of the Scottish Executive as it puts tail docking to the vote. The Welsh Assembly is being given the opportunity to vote on the retention of the tail docking exemption currently in the 2006 Animal Welfare Act (England and Wales). Shooting organisations and shooters successfully lobbied MPs in Westminster last year to secure an exemption for working dogs — work which could be undone if assembly members vote to withdraw the exemption in Wales.
The Welsh Assembly has the right to alter tertiary legislation from Westminster and has therefore sent out its own consultation paper. Where the English and Welsh consultation papers differ is that the Welsh paper does not list all the breeds that are traditionally docked in the exemption. Significantly, HPR breeds are not included. According to Glynn Cook, BASC’s Welsh director: “The Welsh Assembly feels there is not enough evidence of HPRs being worked in Wales to warrant them having an exemption.”
Representatives of BASC visited Christianne Glossop, chief veterinary officer for Wales, to discuss the future of tail docking. BASC’s Christopher Graffius told ST: “In the consultation letter, the chief veterinary officer and her colleagues claimed they had consulted BASC. This wasn’t the case and they have apologised for it. It also turned out that before they drafted the consultation paper they only talked to Welsh vets and not to police, farmers or shooters. During the course of the meeting I told the chief officer that she should read ST if she wanted to learn about gundogs, she said she had never read it. This is an example of civil servants’ lack of resources, time and inclination when looking at a serious welfare issue.”
Mr Graffius voiced his concerns further:
“We are concerned that the consultation does not provide for HPRs. Welsh shooters and BASC are pushing for an exemption for all working dogs. The organisation is also seeking a meeting with Carwyn Jones, minister for the environment for Wales, and will be contacting all assembly members. In addition BASC is calling on anyone who shoots in Wales to contact their assembly member and point out the importance of tail docking.” Glynn Cook commented: “Traditional tail docking in working dogs is essential for the sport of shooting to continue as it does today in the light of sensible animal welfare.
The exemption will be discussed by the environment planning and countryside committee, it will then go to a vote in the assembly, probably in the spring. The consultation period is a short one, ending on 12 January.”
For more information visit www.basc.org.uk
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