THE IRISH SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS MANIFESTO for ANIMALS General Election 2020 MakeMake youryour votevote countcount forfor animalanimal welfarewelfare OurOur vision:vision: ToTo endend crueltycruelty toto animalsanimals inin IrelandIreland #GE2020#GE2020 #ISPCA#ISPCA WWW.ISPCA.IE MANIFESTO FOR ANIMALS Why you should vote in the general election Animal welfare is an important societal issue. With the General Election to be held on 8th February 2020, you will have an opportunity to vote for those candidates that support animal welfare. Your vote can make a difference. By asking candidates their views on key animal welfare issues you can gauge their support, raise the profile of these issues, and help to promote animal welfare through the course of the next government. We have listed below key animal welfare issues in Ireland today and have listed the actions we would like to see the next government take to continue the improvements to animal welfare achieved over the course of the previous government. The ISPCA cares about the welfare of all animals including pet animals, horses and donkeys, farm animals, wild animals and animals used in sport, entertainment and science. To find out more about the ISPCA please visit www.ispca.ie KEY ANIMAL WELFARE ISSUES Education Education is the key to improving animal welfare in Ireland. The ISPCA calls on the government to introduce an animal welfare module to National School Curriculum with a focus on responsible pet ownership and to give students an understanding of their moral and legal responsibilities to animals for which they are responsible. The impact of such education would be generational and will reduce the levels of suffering witnessed by the ISPCA. Animal cruelty, neglect and abandonment The introduction of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 (AHWA), in March 2014 was a significant step forward for animal welfare in Ireland. ISPCA Inspectors have been Authorised Officers under the Act since May 2014. Since then the ISPCA has been involved in over 80 prosecutions that have been finalised in court. However, we continue to see more and more instances of animal cruelty, neglect and abandonment. Education and promotion of responsible pet ownership is key to improving animal welfare in Ireland. The ISPCA is calling for more funding to allow it to recruit enough Inspectors to cover the whole country. We need robust enforcement of the AHWA and other animal related legislation. Dog Breeding The ISPCA welcomed the review of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act which was conducted in 2019, with changes to the legislation to be introduced in 2020. In 2018, the ISPCA seized 140 dogs from two unregistered dog breeding establishments and worked with the local authorities to ensure that the premises were closed down. The ISPCA would like to see stricter regulations on dog breeding with more offences being introduced and more robust enforcement. GO TO WWW.ISPCA.IE/NEWS FOR FURTHER DETAILS GO TO WWW.ISPCA.IE/NEWS FOR FURTHER DETAILS THE ISPCA CALLS ON THE NEXT GOVERNMENT TO: General • Fully implement its new Animal Welfare Strategy • Increase financial support for animal welfare charities and ISPCA Inspectorate • Ensure tougher sentences for those found guilty of animal cruelty Education • Promote responsible pet ownership through the National School Curriculum Pet Animals • Enforce new legislation on sale or supply of pet animals which comes into force on 1st February 2020 • Introduce legislation on the species of exotic pets that can be kept, bred, sold or supplied • Introduce a ban on electric shock collars for dogs • Enforce Microchipping of Dogs Regulations • Introduce a national Trap, Neuter, Release programme for feral cats • Robustly enforce the Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 Equines • Fully enforce the Equine Identification Regulations Farm Animals • Reverse the unsustainable increase in the national dairy herd • Stop live exports to non-EU countries where welfare standards at the final destination cannot be assured. • Promote the export of meat on the hook, not the hoof • Improve the welfare of pigs and phase out tail-docking • Phase out the use of cages for laying hens by 2025 Wild Animals • Introduce a complete ban on the hunting of wild mammals with hounds • Introduce a complete ban on coursing live hares • Implement the commitment to phase out fur farming Animals in Sport • Ensure that the greyhound industry meets its commitments to improve the welfare of racing greyhounds • Ban the export of greyhounds to countries with poor animal welfare legislation • Stop or phase out funding of the greyhound industry Animals in Science • Reduce the number of scientific procedures which use live animals GO TO WWW.ISPCA.IE/NEWS FOR FURTHER DETAILS THE IRISH SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS Questions to ask candidates in your area: 1. What are your views on animal welfare? 2. Will you support better funding for animal welfare organisations? 3. Would you support animal welfare being taught as part of the National School Curriculum? 4. Do you support robust enforcement of animal welfare legislation? 5. Do you support stronger penalties for those convicted of animal welfare offences? 6. What are your views on blood sports such as fox hunting and live hare coursing? 7. Would you support a phase out of cages for farmed animals such as laying hens? 8. Do you agree that the live export of farmed animals to countries outside the EU with poor animal welfare legislation should be banned? Use your vote wisely – give your vote to the candidate you believe will stand up for animals! Vote for better animal welfare in Ireland “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. I hold that the more helpless a creature the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of humankind.” Mahatmi Gandhi www.ISPCA.ie The ISPCA is recognised as a Charitable Organisation by the Revenue Commissioners, CHY5619 and is registered with the Charities Regulatory Authority, Registered Charity Number 20008734 WWW.ISPCA.IE.