THE NEWLY FORMED National Society for the Prevention of Animal Cruelty (NSPCA) is calling for a ban on fox hunting using dogs, an end to sulky racing and horse-drawn carriages in city centres, and for State funding to the greyhound racing industry to end. 

It’s a long list of demands that the NSPCA hopes will be realised within the next five years, and survey results released by the charity today show that the public are largely in favour of these measures. 

The survey found that almost 90% of people support stricter dog breeding restrictions in Ireland, while 67% support the phasing out of horse-drawn carriages in towns and cities over a period of time. 

Meanwhile 82% of those surveyed supported a ban on fox hunting for sport, and 67% support the phasing out of greyhound racing. 

The NSPCA has been established as one national voice on animal welfare in Ireland after the merger of the ISPCA and the DSPCA, with the latter formerly acting as the Dublin-based representative organisation for shelters. 

Speaking to The Journal today, CEO of the charity Pat Watt said that the charity’s five year strategy aims to turn the tide on animal cruelty in Ireland. 

“The five year strategy we are launching today outlines our plans to develop infrastructure when it comes to rescuing, rehoming and rehabilitating animals, but it also sets out the key policy points we’ll be prioritising through our advocacy work,” Watt said. 

“Our first priority is reform when it comes to dog breeding, Ireland has a horrendous reputation for illegal puppy farms, so we want to see major reform to address large scale commercial breeding,” he added. 

Watt’s other key demands to Government include a legal ban on sulky horses on public roads. 

“You’ll have seen some of the incidents over the last few months on social media, and the real danger that is being posed to the welfare of the horses involved. We’ve been involved in some of these cases, and there have been incidents where horses have had to be put down after accidents on the roads. 

“It’s also a huge danger to road users as well, and it’s out of control at this stage,” he said. 

Watt pointed to initiatives in other European cities which include the introduction of electric carriages that can act as an alternative to horse-drawn ones, as one potential way the Government could offset loss of income for those who depend on the practice to make a living. 

Watt stressed that a ban on fox hunting is also a top priority for the NSPCA, and he said that there is currently serious momentum behind the issue as Sinn Féin recently voted in favour of an all-out ban at its Ard Fheis. 

Watt said that previous attempts at getting a bill passed that would ban fox hunting have been too all-encompassing and have faced opposition from sections of rural communities who have concerns about the potential impact on fox culling. 

“We understand that that happens, and it happens with deer as well, and it’s done in a controlled way in order to balance ecosystems, but this is about foxes being pursuit purely for human enjoyment, and the pursuit of an animal across lands in order to kill it,” he said. 

The NSCPA’s launch event for its new strategy was well attended by politicians and Government officials today. 

Green Party Senator Malcolm Noonan, who attended the event, said that the strategy is an opportunity for the country to improve its policies and its reputation when it comes to animal welfare. 

“It’s up to us policy makers and legislators to try and address the myriad of challenges identified here today,” he said. 

Noonan said that specific engagement needs to happen with communities such as the Traveller Community. 

“There’s an opportunity to work with the Traveller Community to bring about a better level of equine welfare, and also to bring in new projects to support people in the community when it comes to animal husbandry,” he said. 

Noonan added that the Green Party has been in support of a ban on fox hunting for a long time, but that it could not get the measure over the line when in coalition during the last Government. 

“It now requires Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to come on board, and to come on board in the majority,” he added.