Cynon Valley AM Christine Chapman has called on the First Minister to make tackling cruelty to animals a priority in 2012. Mrs Chapman drew attention to academic research which showed links between violence to animals and violence to other people, including child abuse and domestic violence.
Mrs Chapman said “Like many people around Wales, I was sickened by reports over recent weeks describing horrific attacks on a range of domestic animals. We should take these seriously, as it is suggested that there are clear links between both types of behaviour”.
Cases of animal cruelty were widely reported in local and national media during the past few months. The First Minister agreed that tackling this abuse was a priority, and reminded anyone who was aware of animal cruelty to report these incidences to the police or RSPCA.
Speaking afterwards, Christine Chapman AM said: “I am delighted by this strong commitment from the First Minister. If people are cruel to animals, it is likely that they will be cruel to other people. Luckily, most people have good attitudes towards animals”.
