Ahead of the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly elections voters have been given the chance in an online hustings event to grill the main parties as part of the Stand Up for Northern Ireland’s Animals campaign.
John Blair (Alliance), Peter Weir (Democratic Unionist Party), Rachel Woods (Green Party), Dolores Kelly (Social Democratic and Labour Party) and Philip McGuigan (Sinn Fein) delated a range of companion animal welfare issues on April 12.
The hustings, chaired by Brendan Mullan CEO of the USPCA, were organised by the Northern Ireland Companion Animal Welfare Group (NICAWG) which comprises of six of the nation’s leading animal welfare organisations. Ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections the group is urging candidates to pledge to Stand Up for Northern Ireland’s Animals if elected to the Assembly.
Animal loving members of the public were given a chance to submit questions across a range of companion animal welfare areas, and the debate saw discussions relating to the enforcement of animal welfare legislation, resourcing, licensing of animal welfare establishments and education around responsible dog ownership. There was also support for a ban on the third party sale of puppies and kittens, an area which NICAWG sees as one of its key priorities.
The hustings followed a Lucidtalk poll commissioned by the Northern Ireland Companion Animal Welfare Group (NICAWG) which revealed that 93% of Northern Ireland’s pet owners are in support of ensuring the next Assembly clamps down on the illegal breeding and transportation of puppies.
83% of respondents also wanted to see improvements to the enforcement of current animal welfare
law in Northern Ireland.
Brendan Mullan, Chief Executive, USPCA, said:
“We are delighted to be part of the Stand up for Northern Ireland’s Animals campaign and the hustings was a brilliant opportunity to hear more from party representatives about which companion animal welfare areas will be a priority for them and their party should they be elected next month. The debate was well natured, and we heard from candidates on a wide range of issues which we hope will be high up the agenda in The Assembly.
Recently, our work with the Assembly and members of All Party Group in Animal Welfare has seen significant progress in providing a stronger voice for animals, and we look forward to continuing this with members of the incoming Assembly.”
Paula Boyden, Veterinary Director for Dogs Trust, said:
“The campaign is an important initiative which seeks to give animals a louder voice in Northern Ireland, and we are proud to be part of this.
“Dogs Trust has long been campaigning for measures to improve dog welfare in Northern Ireland. It was fantastic to hear the candidates speaking on a range of issues which will help companion animals in the years ahead, especially the discussions around an improved and robust registration and licensing system to tackle unscrupulous breeders and sellers.”
Madison Rogers, Senior Advocacy & Government Relations Officer at Cats Protection, said:
“Cats Protection is delighted to be part of the Stand up for Northern Ireland’s Animals campaign. Northern Ireland is a nation of cat lovers – our CATS report shows nearly a quarter of all households own one, adding up to around 220,000 pet cats.
“Thank you so much to all of the candidates who joined our hustings for taking the time to set out the steps they will take to ensure that companion animals are at the forefront of policymaking in the Stormont after the election.”
Assisi, said:
“We’re really pleased to be working alongside other charities to ask all candidates to Stand up for Northern Ireland’s Animals ahead of the elections, and the hustings was a great opportunity to hear first hand the areas where more can be done and the measures which are being proposed. The Northern Ireland Government has already taken some big steps forward when it comes to protecting pets, but there is still more to be done.”
Mid Antrim, said:
“Mid Antrim is delighted to be part of the campaign. This year we saw the introduction of the long-awaited Finns Law but know there is much work to be done to improve the welfare of puppies and dogs at puppy farms across the nation. We were pleased to see Northern Ireland’s animal loving public given a chance to pose their questions to the candidates, and to hear the range of answers and healthy debate on the key priority areas of NICAWG.”
PDSA said:
“The February 2020 PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report shows that 88% of Northern Ireland pet owners consider this to be a nation of animal lovers, and the August 2020 Report shows that 49% consider their pet to have been a lifeline during lockdown. Additionally, the 2021 Report reveals that 83% say that their pet makes them feel mentally healthier; therefore, it’s not surprising that so many voters want to see the Northern Ireland Government continue to drive forward improvements to animal protections in law. Last night offered a great chance for the supporters of our organisations to hear from policymakers, and there were many positive pledges to build on legislation in the Stormont to ensure all vulnerable animals are protected”.