The Welsh Parliament, or Senedd Cymru, is the devolved legislature which makes laws for Wales. While power over some areas still lies solely the UK Parliament, the Senedd can make its own animal welfare laws for Wales, except for hunting with dogs. This makes it an important institution to work with, along with the Welsh Government, especially where they can take action to stop the persecution of animals in the name of ‘sport’.
Everyone in Wales is represented by five Members of the Senedd (MSs) elected in their local area or region.
The League is actively engaging with MSs to ensure animal welfare is a priority for Welsh decision makers, with the aim of educating politicians, influencing policy and changing the law on issues such as ‘game’ bird shooting and greyhound racing in Wales.
Day-to-day, this can involve providing detailed policy briefings to politicians, holding drop-in sessions in the Senedd to discuss issues face-to-face, working with MSs to raise important questions to the Welsh Government and helping supporters to write to their representatives in support of animal welfare laws. We are the secretariat for the Senedd Cross Party Group on Animal Welfare, an important forum for animal welfare charities and politicians to discuss priorities and work together for animals.
Snaring in Wales – Banned
Our campaigning in Wales over the last decade or more has certainly made a huge difference. Recently this has included securing the Welsh Government’s commitment to ban the use of snares and persuading MSs to reject attempts to weaken it. In 2023, Wales became the first nation in the UK to ban the use of snares, a phenomenal achievement and only possible with the help of our supporters, the skilled public affairs team who kept the pressure to act on the politicians, and collaborative working with fellow campaigners in Wales.
Key areas of our work
- Ending cages for gamebird breeding
As part of our anti-shooting campaigning, we’re calling upon the Welsh Government to end the use of cages for pheasants and partridges
- Ending greyhound racing in Wales
We’ve joined with other animal welfare charities to call upon the Welsh Government to phase out and end this ‘sport’ in Wales
- Strengthening the Hunting Act
We’re harnessing support in Wales to ensure ‘trail’ hunting doesn’t return to Welsh Government land and to persuade the UK Government to strengthen the hunting ban