Achievements
RSPCA Cymru is proud of the campaigning work that we have undertaken to date with governments and officials of all levels to make our communities in Wales a better place for animals to live.
Pets as Prizes
Animal ownership is a big responsibility, one that should be planned and well thought out, as opposed to being the result of a spontaneous event or a game. Because of this, we actively discourage everyone against taking on any animal in an impulsive manner.
RSPCA Cymru is firmly opposed to the giving of live animals as prizes in places such as fairgrounds or by raffle. Animal ownership is a big responsibility that needs to be prepared for in order to help provide the best quality of life for that animal.
As of 2024, all councils in Wales have banned the giving of pets as prizes at funfairs and events on council-owned land following relentless campaigning by RSPCA Cymru.
Sky Lanterns
Sky lanterns - also known as 'Chinese lanterns' - present a significant danger to animals, and can cause severe injuries and even death.
After the Welsh Government wrote to all local authorities in Wales urging them to implement bans on council-owned land in 2013, we launched a campaign encouraging them to do so too. In February 2018, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council became the final Welsh council to ban lantern releases on public land - officially making many areas in Wales a #NoFlyZone for sky lanterns.
Wild Animals at Circuses
Captive wild animals used for entertainment purposes such as circuses cannot behave, socialise or exercise as they would in the wild, which can have a detrimental impact on their welfare. Many animals develop behavioural and/or health problems as a direct result of living in captivity and being forced to constantly travel and perform. Because of this, we were among those who successfully campaigned for an end to the use of wild animals in circuses in Wales. As such, the Wild Animals and Circuses (Wales) Bill came into force in December 2020, making it an offence to use wild animals in travelling circuses - whether through performance or exhibition.
The Use of Snares
RSPCA Cymru is opposed to the manufacture, sale and use of any trap which causes animal suffering. Snares - thin wire nooses used to catch animals such as foxes and rabbits - are cruel and indiscriminate in what they catch, which means that non-target animals can become trapped in them, including pets. Animals caught in snares can suffer a slow and agonising death due to injury, with our officers having witnessed this first-hand.
Following years of campaigning by RSPCA Cymru, a total ban on the use of both snares and glue traps came into force in Wales in October 2023, making Wales the first UK nation to take such action.
CCTV in Abattoirs
RSPCA Cymru campaigned for the introduction of mandatory CCTV in all abattoirs in Wales for a number of years to protect the welfare of animals at the time of slaughter and help instil the public’s trust in such operators.
In June 2024, it became compulsory for CCTV to be installed in all areas where live animals are unloaded, kept, handled, stunned, and killed in Wales.