What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the Animal Licensing Wales project's impact on improving animal welfare standards, particularly in relation to unlicensed dog breeding, enforcement consistency across local authorities, and public confidence in licensing regimes?
The Welsh Government funded Animal Licensing Wales project was initially awarded £2,169,300.00, over three years.
The breakdown for each financial year was as follows:
- 2022/2023 - £365,000
- 2023/2024 - £890,300
- 2024/2025 - £914,000
The project has evolved from an initial focus on dog breeding to include all licensing activity involving animals. Earlier this year, I was pleased to announce further funding of £700,000 for 2025/2026. No further funding commitments have been made beyond this financial year.
Welsh Government officials work very closely with the project leads, meeting regularly to ensure the project stays on track and adheres to the conditions of funding. Quarterly and yearly progress reports provide us with statistics and evidence to monitor delivery. Summary updates are provided in our published Animal Welfare Plan for Wales annual reports. Stakeholder feedback also provides invaluable testimony to the project’s successes. In September 2024, Animal Licensing Wales was honoured with a special recognition award in the prestigious RSPCA PawPrints Awards.