Last month, Vale MP Alun Cairns joined animal rights campaigners on Barry Island at Schnauzerfest, to discuss the need for greater protection for dogs in Wales.
At Schnauzerfest, Mr Cairns met Aimee, 13, a young campaigner who is working to achieve a change of law in Wales to ban Puppy Farms. Along with other campaigners, Aimee wants to see significant changes to the law in Wales, including the introduction of Lucy’s Law which bans the sale of puppies and kittens by shops and dealers.
Following Schnauzerfest, Mr Cairns set up a meeting between Aimee and David Rutley MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Food and Animal Welfare at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), to discuss the issues surrounding puppy farms. DEFRA, which is headed by Secretary of State Michael Gove MP, has already introduced a ban on Puppy Farms in England and Mr Rutley spoke to Aimee about the wide-ranging action they have taken on animal rights. With power devolved to the Welsh Government, they discussed the measures that have been introduced in England and the impact this has had.
Mr Cairns said, “I was delighted to welcome Aimee to Westminster for this meeting, it’s really encouraging that at her age she is so engaged with making a positive difference. I have been a longstanding supporter of improving animal welfare and I’m pleased to see the action that my colleague has taken in England. We now need similar action here in Wales. That’s why I felt it would be useful for Aimee to discuss her plans with the Minister for Animal Welfare at DEFRA so that she can discuss the work that they have done in England and how progress can be achieved in Wales.”