Policies | Party for Animal Welfare Ireland

A Better Deal For Animals

Enshrine the sentience of all animals and the Five Freedoms within the law
Relinquish responsibility for animal welfare from County Councils and Department of Agriculture and Establish a Department of Animal Welfare
Update the language in job contracts to better reflect our responsibility to animals, such as the renaming of 'Dog Warden' to 'Animal Guardian'.
Enforce penalties for those convicted of animal abuse and raise the maximum custodial sentence to 10 years.
Employ Animal Welfare Inspectors in every county, to liaise with An Garda Síochána, Social Services and Mental Health Services.
Bring pounds under national policy, with a strict 'no kill' rule and subjection to rigorous inspection and record keeping.
Affiliate animal rescues to to a comprehensive quality assurance system and governing body, with paid and accountable staff.
Obligate The Fire Brigades to partake in animal rescue when asked in emergencies situation.

Strengthen companion animal regulations, with a removal of breed specific legislation.
Prohibit the chaining up of dogs outside in extreme temperatures
Establish a single unified database for microchipping, not three.
Run compulsory animal companion welfare classes for new pet owners.
Introduce a licensing system for all animal companions. Licensees adopting rescued animals will be except from the annual fee.
Disallow Landlords to disqualify a pet owner from gaining tenancy.
Incentivize the replacement of Guard Dogs with modern technology.
Introduce incentives to promote ‘good ownership’, including a tax incentive for rehoming, fostering, or adopting animals, dependent on criteria such as regular visits to a Veterinary Surgeon.
Promote responsible ownership of animals through school curriculum and media.
Establish a national database to accurately record lost and stolen animals, as well as peoples convicted of abuse or cruelty towards animals. This will be linked between An Garda Síochána, the Court System, and Animal Rescues.

Ban Fox Hunting, Coursing and Greyhound Racing.
Implement stringent welfare regulations for Horse Racing, including a ban on the whip and National Hunt races.
Ban Harness Racing on public roads.
Ban the sale of animals online and the exotic pet trade.
Ban the sale of real fur.
Prohibit live animal exports.
Prohibit all slaughter without prior and effective stunning.
Introduce independently monitored CCTV for all abattoirs.
Improve the labelling on all products as they relate to animal, providing more information to consumers to make informed choices.
Encourage a shift from animals as a source of profit, to a recognition that animals have their own place among humans.
Immediately ban experimentation on large animals, dogs, monkeys and rabbits.
Phase out animal experimentation with binding targets for reduction, combined with proper funding and real support for alternatives.

Cease culling of protected wildlife species and badgers.
Work to avoid climate catastrophe and imrpove human health by influencing an urgent transition to a healthier and sustainable plant-based diet.
Encourage the redirection of subsidies away from livestock farming and the fishery industries, and into sustainable, plant-based agriculture.