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28th August 2019

Following today’s announcement about Labour’s 50-point Animal Welfare Manifesto for Government, Cats Protection’s Head of Advocacy and Government Relations, Jacqui Cuff, said: “It is great to see that the Labour Party has prioritised animal welfare with this manifesto."

Silver tabby cat"We work with all political parties to seek action for cat welfare and our 2022 Agenda for Cats sets out the priorities we’d like all parties to tackle in order to help the nation’s cats.
 
“We are especially delighted that the issues of compulsory microchipping of cats, encouraging more tenancies to allow renting with pets and a ban on snares have been included in the Manifesto.
 
“Compulsory microchipping is already in place for dogs and extending mandatory microchipping to owned cats could allow more cats to be reunited with their beloved families if they get lost.
 
“A ban on the use and sale of snares would prevent cats from becoming the unintended victims of these cruel traps. Sadly, many cats get horrifically caught in them, as they do not discriminate prey victims.
 
“And we are campaigning to encourage more landlords to allow cats in their rented properties through our Purrfect Landlords campaign so we very much welcome any proposals that will make it easier for tenants to rent with cats and other pets.”
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For more information please contact Cats Protection’s Media Office at media.office@cats.org.uk or phone 01825 741 911.

Notes to Editors:

  1. Cats Protection is the UK’s leading feline welfare charity and helps around 200,000 cats and kittens each year through a national network of around 250 volunteer-run branches and 36 centres.
  2. Cats Protection’s vision is a world where every cat is treated with kindness and an understanding of its needs.
  3. Cats Protection’s registered charity number is 203644 (England and Wales) and SC037711 (Scotland). Founded as the Cats Protection League in 1927, the charity adopted the name Cats Protection in 1998. We ask that you use the name Cats Protection when referring to the charity in all published material.
  4. More information about the work of Cats Protection can be found at www.cats.org.uk
  5. For more information on Cats Protection’s 2022 Agenda for Cats visit www.cats.org.uk//what-we-do/campaigning/2022agenda
  6. For more information on microchipping visit www.cats.org.uk//what-we-do/campaigning/microchips-reunite
  7. For more information on Cats Protection’s Purrfect Landlords campaign visit www.cats.org.uk//what-we-do/campaigning/purrfectlandlords
  8. Cats Protection, in particular, supports the following points from Labour’s 50-point Animal Welfare Manifesto for Government:
  • Appoint an independent Animal Welfare Commissioner with the objective of ensuring that animal welfare standards are always considered as legislation is introduced and as Britain takes part in international bodies, trade deals and obligations.
  • Enshrine the principle of animal sentience in law to prevent practices that expose both wild and domestic animals to cruel and degrading treatment, and to ensure that government and public bodies must have due regard to animal sentience.
  • Remove two-tier sentencing for animal cruelty so that all animals, whether domestic, under human control or wild, are protected by the same five-year maximum sentence for animal cruelty.
  • Improve accessibility to vets for those on low incomes and/or living in remote areas, working with organisations like the PDSA to explore how access to affordable vet care can be expanded. Work with animal welfare charities to encourage take-up of subsidised neutering.
  • Refusal of landlords to allow pets is a common reason for cats and dogs being given up to animal shelters. We would consult with tenants and both social and private landlords so that tenants can keep pets as a default unless there is evidence that the animal is causing a nuisance, or its welfare is compromised.
  • Work with care home providers and advocate groups to explore the potential for elderly, disabled and homeless people who move into care homes, sheltered accommodation or hostels to be able to keep their pets and work with relevant agencies to provide ‘safe houses’ for pets of people escaping domestic violence.
  • Bring in proper regulation of animal sanctuaries and rescue centres.
  • Expand mandatory microchipping to cats.
  • Expand the reporting of motor accidents beyond livestock and dogs to include cats.
  • Ban the sale and use of snares and glue traps
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