Assembly elections: USPCA wants voters to challenge candidates on animal welfare issues

The charity has launched a campaign called Act for Animals, which calls for MLAs to pass more robust laws in the next mandate.

The USPCA highlights four areas it has concerns on: the puppy trade; the monitoring of banned offenders; Stormont’s proposed badger cull to tackle bovine TD; and the ongoing practice of hunting wild animals with dogs.

USPCA chief executive Brendan Mullan said: “The outgoing Assembly voted against introducing a ban on hunting wild mammals with dogs, did not afford time to consider a private member’s Bill which would have enhanced the regulations around the cruel puppy trade, and the DAERA minister (Edwin Poots) announced a cull of badgers – a protected species.

“Our incoming Assembly needs to do better, and we all now have the opportunity to use our vote to enhance animal welfare in Northern Ireland.”

The charity is asking election candidates to commit to:

• Better enforcement and regulation of the puppy trade

• Voting against a badger cull

• Supporting a ban on hunting wild mammals with dogs

• Supporting the introduction of a banned offenders register.

Mr Mullan added: “Animals play an essential role in our community and natural environment, enhancing our quality of life, but at the same time can be taken for granted or worse still, abused.

“As a compassionate society, we must recognise our duty to protect all animals – be that our much-loved companion animals or our native wildlife.

“The public has demonstrated time and time again their appetite to see real change in animal welfare here in Northern Ireland.”

The charity said a recent Lucidtalk poll commissioned by the Northern Ireland Companion Animal Welfare Group found 83% of respondents agree there is a need to improve the enforcement of current animal welfare law in the region.

Mr Mullan continued: “We thank our supporters for rallying behind our campaigning work and look forward to their continued support in the months ahead.

“We all play an important role in shaping Northern Ireland’s political landscape for the next five years – we hope Northern Ireland has a future in which animals are afforded the protections they deserve.”

Announcing the proposed badger cull last month, Mr Poots insisted he was not “anti-badger” and was rather seeking a “targeted intervention limited to those specific areas where badgers may play a significant role in the maintenance of bTB in cattle”.