Northern Ireland’s animal welfare regulations are “unfit for purpose in 2023 leaving animals languishing in distress" and the public frustrated over responses to reports, according to a dog rescue charity.
They say:
- Council animal welfare officers are forced to rely on outdated and inadequate laws
- Recommendations from a DAERA review of legislation in 2016 have not been fully implemented,
- The explosion in dog ownership has vastly increased levels of neglect and abandonment
- A full review of local council welfare rules should be created to future-proof regulations, and,
- DAERA legislation should be subject to emergency review.
