Th a is what is needed if a Serious Animal Welfare Crisis is to be prevented from hitting large areas of the country, including some that have not been as badly hit as those about which we have been hearing.

Alongside that suffering is another rapidly growing problem: the Animal Welfare Crisis affecting 1.

Even in the absence of new laws or the repeal of old ones, we can do a lot within the framework of existing legislation to deal with the Animal Welfare Crisis that we are facing.

Today we face a Crisis in Animal Welfare, as charities struggle to cope with a tide of unwanted pets, or pets that families can no longer afford to keep.

Parliament and Government can do a lot to help these charities and their volunteers cope with what is a growing Animal Welfare Crisis.