Target: Dr. Richard Irvine, Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales
Goal: Ensure passage of broad animal welfare and regulation framework to protect at-risk animals.
Once again, individuals touting themselves as animal rescuers are accused of condemning the animals under their care to pain and suffering. About two dozen cats were found reportedly living in filth and squalor at a supposed animal sanctuary in Wales. Investigators only discovered the reportedly dilapidated conditions after a fire broke out on the property. Amongst the ruins were 11 dead cats. The duo who apparently operated the sanctuary were sentenced to a few weeks of jail time and prohibited from keeping animals for a decade.
Wales is in the process of developing a national model for animal welfare regulation. Key points of this proposal include strengthening the guidelines for licensing animal-related activities, including sanctuaries and rescues. Creating tougher standards for people who want to take care of animals may have saved the lives of these cats and countless other innocents.
Sign the petition below to urge the expedition and passage of these important animal welfare efforts.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Dr. Irvine,
The proposed national model for animal welfare regulation was recently opened to public comment. You specifically asked for input about gaps in current legislation and evidence for stronger regulation. A troubling incident out of Port Talbot is representative of the many incidents that prove the case for a national model.
The events occurred at a purported animal sanctuary known as Jemima’s place. Two individuals, Martin Clowes and Gavin Cromwell, opened this center and reportedly housed cats. But apparent negligence left these animals living in filthy conditions, allegedly covered in their own excrement, and vulnerable to a fire that nearly destroyed the property. Of the two dozen cats associated with the property, a little more than half were found alive. Clowes and Cromwell have faced legal repercussions.
But if these men had been properly vetted and subjected to a rigorous licensing process, perhaps the innocent animals would not have needed to be rescued from the supposed rescuers. Please recognize this case as an example of why Wales urgently needs a national animal welfare regulation framework.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Jesus Solana
288 Signatures