UK Law For Rescues And Sanctuaries
Added: (Thu Dec 06 2001)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
A Private Parliamentary Bill setting statutory standards for animal rescue centres and sanctuaries, is currently being drafted for its second reading in parliament in January 2002. If adopted into law, the Animal Sanctuaries (Licensing) Bill will create a new definition for rescues and sanctuaries requiring them to carry licences similar to those required by commercial boarding facilities for the first time in the UK.
The private members' Bill, being promoted by Ian Cawsey MP (Lab. Brigg & Goole), Chairman of the Associate Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare, will require local authorities to licence and inspect those establishments - "usually responsible for animals for the purpose of rehabilitation, re-homing or rest," - to ensure any animal welfare issues are picked up and addressed.
The Bill aims to prevent commercial practices receiving payment for boarding animals under the guise of a rescue, being free from inspection and licensing standards and provide inspectors with the ability to take action against poorly managed rescues and sanctuaries which do not meet the new standards.
Mr Cawsey has pointed out that:
"those who occasionally take in an injured animal would not be required to be licensed".
However, it is not yet clear whether licensing would be applied to residential property based rescues or exactly how a rescue will be defined.
New Standards
Standards necessary to be licensed have not yet been clearly defined but we understand that general minimum requirements will be that:
Animals are kept in appropriate accommodation with suitable food, drink and bedding material.
Animals are given adequate exercise and visited at suitable intervals.
Reasonable precautions will be taken to prevent and control the spread of infectious and contagious diseases.
Appropriate procedures are in place to protect animals in case of fire or other emergency.
Animals are not re-homed at too early an age and that proper records are kept.
There is some support in the sector for segregation rules to be established which meet the strict requirements of commercial quarantine standards on the basis that few rescued animals arrive with any form of documented medical history.
RSPCA Objections
It is understood that inspections will be carried out by the appropriate local authority, however concern has been expressed by a number of rescues, (in particular those with 'no kill' policies), over the possibility of the RSPCA being granted such powers.
Additionally a number of rescues who have contacted us about this have said they will oppose the Bill on this issue and some have expressly asked to remain anonymous because they do not want to appear to be publicly campaigning against the RSPCA.
Divided By Size
In the main, (in their correspondence with us), larger rescues and sanctuaries seem to be strongly in favour of the Bill. Many have provided anecdotal evidence of 'appalling living conditions' within smaller rescues. Some have appealed for the definition of 'rescue' to include those who take in a very small number of animals each year.
However, Ian Cawsey has said that the Bill will be realistic in terms of who might be expected to be licensed.
This is probably not enough to allay the fears of smaller rescues who are most likely to take the brunt of the effects of the new Bill if enacted. These strapped-for-cash rescues are extremely concerned that if they fall within the definition of a licensable rescue or sanctuary, the financial implication of implementing new standards and audits will be too much for them to bear.
Mr Cawsey said:
"I think I would be concerned if sanctuaries needed external funding to meet that fairly basic criteria." [see 'Standards' above]
However, the devil as ever, will be in the detail of the draft and at the moment there is a lot of uncertainty around. Unless the Bill is to be restricted to large well established rescue centres and sanctuaries, then specialist and smaller rescues will need support and not their condemnation. Those genuine smaller rescues will need assistance to raise funds and merge resources in order to conform to the new rules.