Petition wording:

Please sign in support of a ’Animal Offenders Register’, a central Welsh database which will consist of name, address and convictions of people who have been convicted of any form of animal cruelty and abuse within Wales.  Breeders / sellers of animals will be required to check this central database before allowing any animal they own / bred to go to a prospective owner / new home;  if it is found that someone who has been convicted of animal cruelty or abuse has an animal the supplier / breeder will be held liable and prosecuted.  At the moment there is no law to stop anyone who has been convicted of animal cruelty from moving a few miles up the road and then obtaining another animal to inflict further abuse on.  Stricter laws need to be implemented to help protect animals, heavier fines and longer prison sentences as well as an Animal Offenders Register.

New York City and various states in the USA have already implemented this law, what is there to stop Wales taking the lead in the United Kingdom?  You’ve heard of Sarah’s Law, designed to keep sex offenders from striking again.  Now we hope for a law created in the hope of preventing animal abusers from inflicting more cruelty, or moving on to human victims.  Research has shown that there is a very strong correlation between animal abuse and domestic violence.  Many murderers start out by torturing animals, and we could end up also protecting the lives of people.

Petition raised by:  Mari Roberts & Sara Roberts

Date petition first considered by Committee:  19 June 2012

Number of signatures:  69