lCaring for wildlife and improving the lives of farmed and domestic animals are related but distinct aims of the Government's new Animal Welfare Strategy for England. Its launch is timely: more than 1 billion chickens and about 8 million turkeys are raised every year, with many of the latter being killed in the run-up to Christmas. Winter is also the peak season for pet abandonment, and animal welfare charities are particularly wary this year given already big numbers abandoned dogs and cats.
Promises to end the use of laying cages and cramped farrowing cages for pigs will be welcomed by all who object to animal cruelty. It will also be suggested to replace carbon dioxide is amazing pigs with an alternative that is less tiring for them. New regulations for farmed fish are also being developed. Until now, fish have been largely excluded from the evolving set of regulations aimed at minimizing suffering during slaughter.
Most European countries already protect breeding hares from hunters by making it illegal to kill these beautiful animals during the months when they are raising their young. Announcement about similar measure for England expired. As former Conservative environment minister George Eustice told the Guardian, “even Victorians have accepted the need for a closed season” where the shooting of hares is prohibited.
The Labor Party manifesto included promises to ban snare traps and trail hunting, where dogs chase a scent rather than a fox. Trail hunting was already banned in Scotland, and its continuation in England became a compromise when fox hunting was outlawed. Ministers will have to tread carefully if they are to avoid another scandal with rural organizations and their allies – following this week's spread about inheritance tax, which will now apply to farms worth £2.5 million, rather than £1 million. The Strategy rightly recognizes the potential for farmers to be negatively impacted by higher welfare standards. He promises that trade policy will be used to protect them if low-welfare imports are given an “unfair advantage”.
When it comes to pets, the interests of owners must be balanced with the welfare of the animals. There are an estimated 10.6 million dogs in the UK. Tenants' Rights Bill includes a provision that should make it easier for private tenants in England to keep pets. But the pet boom has also brought problems. A new dog breeder registration scheme aimed at ending cruelty, as well as a review of international rescue schemes, are smart steps. But it will take enforcement to support any changes. Unless councils and other bodies are equipped to check and investigate, animals will continue to suffer.
As Ministers know, animal welfare is popular with the public. More complex problems such as damage to wildlife caused by dogs and catscarbon emissions from intensive livestock farming and necessity reduce overall meat consumption shy away from a strategy that focuses on recognizing animals as sentient beings. There is much here that is subject to consultation and could take years to come into force. Other UK countries are already ahead in some respects. For example, shock collars for cats and dogs were banned in Wales in 2010. But ministers are right to highlight the problem. Animals should be treated with compassion, not cruelty. In a world that is rapidly changing for both them and people, the law must keep up with the times.
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