Animal Protection Charter

Published January 2023 An accessible policy document from southtyneside.gov.uk

South Tyneside Council is strongly in favour of preventing the unnecessary suffering of any animal and is committed to conducting its business and leveraging its powers in such a way as to protect and ensure the welfare of animals, wild and domesticated, in the South Tyneside area and beyond.

In particular, the Council seeks to uphold the five animal welfare needs based on the internationally recognised ‘5 Freedoms’ standard of animal welfare and enshrined in section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act: a suitable environment; a suitable diet (freedom from hunger and thirst); the ability for the animal to exhibit normal behaviour patterns (freedom to express normal behaviour); housing with, or apart, from other animals (depending on the animal); and protection from pain, suffering injury and disease.

The Council takes as its foundation in striving to protect animals, national legislation set out in the Animal Welfare Act 2006, and the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, as well as subsequent and related animal welfare and wildlife conservation legislation, and associated national guidance, including from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Animal and Plant Health Agency. The Council also seeks to follow best practice around leveraging local authority powers and functions to uphold animal welfare and protection.

The Council’s focus on animal protection is also closely linked to its July 2019 Climate Emergency declaration and associated commitments in the Sustainable South Tyneside Strategy 2020-2025 including around carbon reduction, biodiversity promotion and engagement with the public on sustainability. As a coastal borough that has made an Ocean Recovery Declaration (January 2022) and plays a lead role nationally in representing the interests of coastal areas, the Council also recognises its role in protecting and conserving coastal wildlife and associated habitats.

Local authorities have a number of duties and opportunities in relation to the protection of animals and the promotion of their welfare, which can be broadly characterised under the following three headings:

  • Using specific enforcement, licensing and other powers associated with statutory functions including around Environmental Health, Public Health and Planning
  • Influencing and engaging with the wider local community and stakeholders including businesses, as well as seeking to influence national policy
  • Optimising internal business practices, including procurement and land management practices, and setting an example for others to follow

Local authorities are an important partner in animal protection, but it should be noted that there are often notable limits to local authority powers and remit. In the absence of specific prohibitive national legislation, for example, local authorities can strongly oppose certain technically legal activities taking place on private land within their administrative boundaries, such as trail hunting or ‘lamping’ of rabbits or rats, but have no powers to limit them, other than to seek to educate and influence residents and businesses.

Local authorities are also just one piece in the puzzle in upholding animal welfare, and, as well as being guided by national policy, work with various important partners on the issue of upholding animal welfare and protection. Key partners include the police, who have key functions with regards to investigation and enforcement of animal mistreatment that amounts to criminal activity, as well as public sector partners like DEFRA, Public Health England or housing associations, and local and national animal rescue, welfare and wildlife protection organisations, including North East Animal Rights.

This charter has been developed by South Tyneside elected members and officers, informed by interested local residents and groups, with the aim of articulating a set of principles which is hoped will guide the Council in leveraging its resources in such a way that contributes to minimising unnecessary animal suffering.

It is intended that the commitments in this charter, agreed in January 2023, will be carried forward by a cross-service Animal Protection Working Group and that the charter will be reviewed and updated annually initially and thereafter every three years to enable suitable response to any significant changes in legislation.

With regard to its statutory powers and functions

The Council is committed to using it statutory powers with regards to licensing to uphold high standards in all local businesses involving animals.

The Council is committed to ensuring that stray dogs are collected and kept safely in boarding kennels adhering to relevant licensing and welfare standards and where possible reunited with their owner as quickly as possible.

The Council is committed to using its powers in relation to farm animal hygiene and welfare to uphold high welfare standards.

The Council promotes and supports the use of safe and effective methods of pest management (note, the terminology ‘pest’ will vary depending on the relevant statute and guidance but typically refers to insects, plants or animals which can impact adversely on public health or the environment). Pests can carry and spread diseases, they can spoil foodstuffs and stored goods and cause damage to the fabric and fixtures of buildings, and many pests also need to be controlled for the benefit of surrounding wildlife. The Council’s pest control service is therefore rooted in protecting public health recognising that certain insects, mammals and birds are vectors of disease and must be managed. The Council adopts an Integrated Pest Management methodology taking a holistic approach, starting with prevention, and including education, advice, good housekeeping and effective proofing, to limit the need for treatment. As each case is unique, the Council’s Public Health Technicians assess each site and where treatment is required will adopt safe and effective methods of pest management, designed to minimise suffering, limit the environmental impact of treatment and avoid non-target species (wildlife, pets or people) coming to harm.

The Council is committed to protecting and promoting biodiversity, including working to grow tree canopies and preserve wildlife habitats, such as mudflats and saltmarshes.

The Council recognises that changes to the natural environment through land use changes or new development can directly or indirectly affect wild animals, including by adversely affecting the ability of habitats to sustain viable populations of wild animals and plants. To mitigate the negative impacts of this, the Council will ensure its development frameworks require developers to consider risks of harming wildlife and habitats and mitigate against these risks appropriately and will work to provide supplementary guidance to support developers to consider different wildlife enhancement features.

In line with its Ocean Recovery Declaration (January 2022), the Council is committed to considering the ocean when making decisions and ensuring that economic opportunities associated with the sea are developed in a sustainable way.

With regards to its role in leading and educating the community and partners

The Council is committed to encouraging responsible companion animal (pet) ownership. It is committed to raising awareness of the needs of animals, sharing best practice around animal care, and to discouraging the keeping of animals where households are not able to meet these basic needs.

Where the Council, through its environmental health or other functions, becomes aware of evidence of irresponsible companion animal ownership, contributing to anti-social behaviour or amounting to negligence or neglect, it will work to educate owners and where necessary will, in partnership (for example, with the Police and animal welfare organisations), support interventions including rescues and prosecutions.

The Council is committed to promoting respect for wildlife and to educating the public around activities with the potential to cause harm to wildlife. This includes a commitment to:

  • Communicate with residents about the risks to wildlife caused by littering, noise nuisances, discarded fishing lines and hooks, fly tipping, overflowing bins, pet attacks, and inappropriate feeding of wildlife.
  • Communicate with businesses and private landowners around mitigation activities that can be taken to minimise risks to wildlife (for example, relating to netting or chimney covers) or to minimise suffering in relation to private pest control activities (such as the shooting of birds or rats on farms).
  • Communicate with other partners, including schools, to promote best practice around wildlife protection and avoidance of activities with the potential to harm or cause suffering to animals.

Communicate with businesses and private landowners around mitigation activities that can be taken to minimise risks to wildlife (for example, relating to netting or chimney covers) or to minimise suffering in relation to private pest control activities (such as the shooting of birds or rats on farms).

Communicate with other partners, including schools, to promote best practice around wildlife protection and avoidance of activities with the potential to harm or cause suffering to animals.

With regard to its land and internal business practices:

The Council is committed to ensuring that its land management practices accord with the protection of wild animals and their habitats.

The Council is committed (in line with sustainability and Net Zero commitments, as well as animal protection principles) to exploring options associated with its catering functions for supporting local people to reduce consumption of meat and other animal-based products and consider plant-based alternatives.

In its role as a major purchaser, the Council will endeavour not to purchase animal by-products where alternatives are available, for example, suede and leather, or animal fur in ceremonial garments.

The Council is committed to prohibiting activities with the potential to harm animals or wildlife from taking place on its land.

  • The Council does not allow hunting (including trail-hunting or other related activities which have the capacity for animals to get drawn into illegal hunting by accident or deliberately) on Council-owned land.
  • The Council will not let land or allow land to be used by circuses or other similar enterprises where cages or performing animals are used and prohibits the exchange of live animals as prizes being undertaken on any Council-owned land.
  • The Council will seek to ensure that where any exhibitions involving animals take place on Council land, animals are only present when they are an integral part of the activity and not for decorative or cosmetic purposes, and they are not caused suffering or distress.
  • The Council will also seek to deter the public from engaging in activities on Council land which are known to have a detrimental effect on wildlife habitats. Linked to this, the Council has banned balloon and lantern releases for all events on Council owned land and actively discourages balloon and lantern releases on private land due to the capacity of balloons and lanterns travelling onto public land and causing issues with wildlife, littering and pollution.

The Council is committed to sharing intelligence with the police on wildlife crime (for example, illegal hunting practices, the shooting of birds or the removal of eggs from nests).

The Council is committed to working with community and volunteer groups with an interest in protecting animals and promoting the environment, including by creating opportunities to listen to insights, working to empower pro-wildlife community activities (for example, supporting litter picks), sharing guidance with volunteers and interested residents around best practice in cultivating wildlife-friendly gardens and parks, and contributing to partner-led awareness campaigns.

The Council will leverage its influence locally, regionally and nationally to share best practice and lobby for animal protection improvements.