ANIMAL campaigners welcomed support from the Welsh government for giving more powers to its front-line rescuers today. 

RSPCA Wales is seeking statutory powers in Wales for its inspectors to carry out more animal welfare work without needing to rely on public bodies like the police to carry out some duties. 

Animal welfare is devolved in Wales and new First Minister Vaughan Gething included a specific pledge in his leadership manifesto to give RSPCA officers “additional enforcement powers.”

RSPCA Wales’s Billie-Jade Thomas said: “It’s really encouraging that the new first minister supported additional enforcement powers for our officers.”

The animal rights group has written to the first minister and newly appointed cabinet secretary covering animal welfare, Huw Irranca-Davies, to start progressing this commitment, and ensuring its inspectors are better equipped to protect animals in Wales.

RSPCA Cymru also welcomed the new first minister’s manifesto pledge to ban the giving of pets as prizes in Wales.