Write a commentSlieve Gullion Councillor Pete Byrne has said the SDLP will continue to put the pressure on to establish an all island animal cruelty register following a response from Secretary of State Julian Smith. Cllr Byrne tabled a motion condemning animal cruelty and calling for the registry at the July meeting of Newry, Mourne and Down Council.
Byrne said, “While I welcome the Secretary of State’s letter addressing our proposal for the creation of an all-island animal cruelty register, I am not surprised by his response. We have seen many important issues sit in limbo over the last three years due the absence of a Stormont Assembly. However, we will move our attention to the Northern Ireland Civil Service and explore what is possible in the absence of the Assembly.”
“We also wrote to the Irish government and I am pleased that this has also been brought to the attention of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I look forward to continuing to engage with our Councillor Malachy Quinn who has led on making this register a reality. Providing an all-island register will help identify individuals who have been banned from adopting new animals and prevent the suffering that some pets have been exposed to here both North and South.”
