There is a quote, often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, which says “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way that its animals are treated”.
The Council has a direct influence on how all animals are treated in the borough, from the way domestic pets are bred and sold, through licencing zoos, to the way pests are controlled. This role will help ensure that the council treats animals respectfully and that any council activities that impact animals are conducted humanely and in accordance with best practice.
I am a professional dog trainer and have had a keen interest in animal welfare since I was a child. I have been involved with many animal welfare organisations from rescue German Shepherds to handfeeding scores of young hedgehogs that were too small to make it through the winter. I share my home with 2 dogs, 3 cats and a varying number of chickens.
My plan for the role is to take a multi-pronged approach.
1) Firstly, to understand where and how we as a council affect animals in our operations. I want to understand how we do things, and why, to see if we can improve and do things more effectively or more kindly. Our regulatory services team are highly professional but the council’s operations and our impact on animal welfare extend way beyond the licencing functions.
2) Secondly, I want to create links with outside organisations where we don’t already have them to see where we can work together to expedite action. This may include the Police, the RSPCA, rescue organisations, farmers or breeders.
3) Thirdly, I want to engage with the public and act as a point of contact so they can provide intelligence. I want to make it difficult for people who abuse animals or operate illegally to get away with it by increasing awareness and providing information for the public. This will become increasing important as the government’s new Animal Welfare Strategy is implemented.
It is important to note that the council is only responsible for welfare matters in a commercial setting. Issues in domestic settings need to go to other organisations so the scope of this role and how much change I can effect may be limited. Furthermore, we all know the financial challenges facing the council and animals are not even mentioned in our corporate plan. However, the animals need all the help they can get so my plan is to make the public our eyes and ears and I am more than happy to be contacted by people with concerns that fall outside the councils remit and I’ll do my best to help.