The Welsh Government has responded to its consultation, Licensing of Animal Welfare Establishments, Activities and Exhibits, and has concluded that no legislation is required for animal exhibits.

The Countryside Alliance has lobbied for several years against proposals which could have seen hound parades, gun dog displays and other animal related activities require an individual licence from the local authority, with a hefty price tag attached and an inspection regime.

The Welsh Government will, however, press ahead with proposals for the regulation of animal welfare establishments, including rescues, sanctuaries, rehabilitation and rehoming centres, a move that was supported by the Alliance. It will also focus on regulating dog grooming, a sector that is increasing in the number of providers, which seems to be problematic according to the Welsh Governments consultation responses.

In 2024 the Alliance warned of the voluntary sector being unnecessarily burdened by the licencing proposals, with events such as farmers taking pet lambs to school and animals to care homes all falling under the Welsh Government’s legislative proposal. The Alliance was featured on ITV Wales news with one of its members taking her pet lambs into a local school. The programme gained considerable attention and brought to the fore the potential for draconian measures to reduce these wonderful opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy.

Responding to the recent consultation, the Countryside Alliance expressed significant concerns around proportionality and the need for regulation.

Rachel Evans, Director for Wales of the Countryside Alliance, said:

“The focus should be on those areas where there is clear evidence of a problem. We must not to lose sight of the purpose of any regulation, which is to ensure animal welfare, not to regulate human activities purely because they involve human-animal interaction.”

The Welsh Government has said that it will “maintain a watching brief on animal exhibits. While views were mixed, we remain open to future re-evaluation as part of our phased approach and do not ignore calls for regulatory reform or prohibition.”

In the meantime, the Welsh Government will press ahead with banning greyhound racing in Wales, despite the implementation plan being nowhere near ready. The Greyhound Board of Great Britain is understood to have begun legal proceedings against the Welsh Government’s decision, which was part of a deal with the Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds MS to secure her vote for Labour’s Budget.