Media release: 'Animals Count urges council to get serious about dog abandonment'
The political party Animals Count, which will contest the London Assembly elections on 1st May, is urging local councils in England and Wales to develop comprehensive strategies to deal with dog abandonment, including adequate provision for out-of-hours dog care.
Animal welfare scientist Jasmijn de Boo, founder of the political party Animals Count, and a candidate for the London elections for Lambeth & Southwark, commented that:
"We are concerned that the new law making councils responsible for abandoned dogs 24-hours-a-day, will result in poor welfare and unnecessary deaths." Over 100,000 thousand animals were collected in 2007 of which at least 7,000 were in London alone.
She continued: "Many animals that end up on the streets are accidentally lost, and those actively abandoned are often dumped in the evening and weekends. These animals may now become victims of the new system when councils do not have out-of-hours provisions."
Animals Count's aims with regard to companion animals include:
- The establishment of a basic animal health care system comparable to the NHS, including subsidised veterinary treatment and emergency care
- Public educational programmes concerning responsible companion animal care, implemented by councils and national government
- Increasing penalties for neglect and abuse
- Introducing Animal Protection (inspection) Officers within each Borough/Council
- Mandatory Identification and Registration of animals
- A ban on commercial breeding of animals for profit
"Animals Count believes a comprehensive council strategy should be developed and adequate funding should be made available," concluded Jasmijn. "We want to make London the world's leading city for animal protection."
5 April, 2008 
Five charged for animal cruelty to 125 animals
Following an investigation from the RSPCA five people have been charged with animal cruelty over the discovery of scores of neglected horses, ponies and donkeys on a Buckinghamshire farm.
The family aged between 15 and 44 face a total of 12 charges under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 as they caused unnecessary suffering to 125 animals and failed to meet their needs. It seems that Animal Welfare Act is starting to be enforced and getting offenders prosecuted. It is sad, however, that the situation had to spiral out of control until 125 animals were suffering or in danger of suffering, before any action was taken.
The BBC reports that Mr. Gray "appeared in court last month charged with three offences related to alleged offences at the time of the visit by animal welfare representatives. He denied charges of assault and obstructing a police officer." Animals Count would not be surprised at all if it were true that Mr. Gray had displayed 'obstructive' behaviour towards the law enforcers. There is a link between violence towards people and animal cruelty and it is about time that legislators start taking this more seriously.
18 March, 2008
A recent surge in new cruelty cases have been reported by many media including the BBC (Pet owner jailed over starved dog), The Northern Echo (Man who left animals to die in squalor is spared jail), the Gazette and Herald (Youngsters rescue duck shot with crossbow), and on Sky News (Animals Seized In Dog-Fight Crackdown). All abusers got off lightly. Animals Count again calls upon the government to set up a proper task force to enforce the Animal Welfare Act and to increase the penalties for offenders.
Furthermore, Animals Count believes the same should be applied for those flouting the Hunting Act. The Western Morning News (Three face charges of illegal hunting) reported that the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) has footage showing three man hunting illegally in January this year.
The Solihull, Shirley and Arden Observer (Internet group brag of fox killing) described a sickening new group on Facebook promoting fox hunting and killing (and the pleasure derived from killing), which is slammed by the RSPCA and the LACS.
A spokesperson for the LACS said: "It is terribly disturbing when material like this is posted on the internet. It reveals the damaged state of mind of those who gain enjoyment from harming animals."
2 September, 2007
Yesterday the RSPCA released animal cruelty figures for 2006 demonstrating shocking examples of the worst offences, such as dogs having to eat dead companions to stay alive, over 1,000 hens in a maggot-infested pit and a sharp increase in horse neglect and abuse. Overall there was a reduction in animal cruelty, and director Jackie Ballard contributes that partly to the new Animal Welfare Act.
There was a 10% increase in cruelty cases investigated by the RSPCA (over 122,000 cases) while there was a 9% reduction in court orders banning offenders from keeping animals.
Animals Count is shocked at these figures in what is supposed to be a civilised country. It seems that the Animal Welfare Act is inadequate in scope and not properly enforced.
In March and April Animals Count already pointed out that systematic neglect and abuse of all animals is widespread. While the RSPCA does much to counter and prevent cruelty in their capacity of enforcing the Animal Welfare Act, a petition was set up to investigate the RSPCA's work independently.
Animals Count has received several emails and phone calls from distressed members of the public who informed us that the RSPCA were not taking any action against animal cruelty they witnessed. Obviously, more help needs to come from the government if they are to take the AW Act seriously.
Animals Count believes that the AW Act is:
- Too narrow in scope
- Lacking adequate enforcement
- Open to wide interpretation, resulting in unnecessary suffering and deaths of countless individual animals.
Animals Count therefore appeals to the government to install an independent committee who will be responsible for compiling a list of case studies demonstrating how and when the AW Act has failed.
2 August, 2007
Systematic neglect and abuse of all animals is widespread and recent cases of dog cruelty are only the tip of the iceberg. The latest example from the 5th of April includes pet goats who were butchered by someone, which has left the owner traumatised.
The way we interact with farm animals, animals used in experimentation, as sources of 'entertainment' and other exploitation fundamentally requires a shift in societal concerns.
On the 2nd of MarchThe Sun reported findings from the RSPCA that animal abuse increased with a shocking 77% in 2005. Worst Animal Cruelty cases - read more.
The Evening Post in South Wales reported on 7 March that Victoria Jones from Swansea pleaded guilty at Swansea Magistrates Court after RSPCA inspectors had found two dogs who had starved to death. Ms Jones had spent long periods away from her home and apparently thought a friend would look after the dogs.
She accepted full responsibility, but the sentence (a lifetime ban on keeping animals, a six-month supervision order and 120 hours of community work) is so low that one can hardly call it a deterrent (whereas on 6th March 4 animal activists had received jail sentences of up to 4 years for intimidation, partly to act as a 'deterrent' for other activists).
Older cases of animal abuse
On the 19th of January the BBC reported that Mr and Mrs Jones from Swansea were banned from keeping animals for life and that their 19 year old son also received a similar sentence for two years, for causing unnecessary suffering to at least 36 animals at their three-bedroom council house. 19 year old Michael was also ordered to do 150 hours community work.
Animals Count believes these sentences are disproportionately low in relation to the suffering inflicted on so many animals.
According to the RSPCA prosecution 100 animals were found in 'appalling conditions'. What would the sentence have been if the companions were humans, neglected and abused in say, elderly homes?
Clearly, when crime is committed towards animals, offenders get off too lightly. When hunters or other animal abusers get violent towards peaceful animal protection protestors, this is hushed up by media and authorities, but when animal rights demonstrators do anything remotely illegal; their actions are portrayed as acts of terrorism.
The logic is inconsistent to say the least and proves yet again that the interests of animals are not adequately protected by existing legislation. Causing unnecessary suffering to both humans and animals should be treated seriously.
Animals Count's policies
Animals Count aims to strengthen legislation and regulations against animal neglect and abuse by strengthening police powers, increasing penalties for offenders, and increasing public educational programmes concerning responsible companion animal care and related topics.