LETTER FROM THE OFFICE OF KEITH TAYLOR MEP
Dear Vivienne,
Dear Vivienne,
Like you, Keith was appalled to hear about the brutal killing of dogs from animal shelters, as well as the lack of suitable policies and facilities to humanely deal with the high numbers of abandoned dogs across the country. The videos and photographs that have been taken of these events have been utterly shocking.
Keith is committed to doing all he can at an EU level to improve animal protection and has made it one of his top priorities since becoming an MEP. He is a member of the European Parliament's Animal Welfare Intergroup, and we have been in touch with the Chair of the Intergroup to see what action may be taken at EU level.
The Intergroup has written to Daciana Sârbu, a Romanian MEP, urging her to take any action possible in Romania to ensure that animal welfare organisations are supported and are able to continue their important work without impediment.
Keith has received a large amount of correspondence from constituents in the South East on the welfare of dogs in Romania, and has raised these concerns in a letter to the Romanian President. Keith called for Romania to adopt a humane policy of sterilisation, and to put an end to the plans for the mass slaughter of stray dogs. You can read what Keith said to President Băsescu on his website: http://www.keithtaylormep.org.uk/2013/08/05/correspondence-about-stray-animals/
Any response Keith receives from the Romanian President will be posted on the same web page.
In his letter, Keith highlighted a Written Declaration adopted last year by the European Parliament and supported by many Romanian MEPs. The Declaration called for an end to the cruel killing of stray dogs, in Romania and across Europe, and to improve the way that stray dogs are managed in some European countries. It stated:
"[The European Parliament] calls on the Member States to adopt comprehensive dog population management strategies which include measures such as dog control and anti-cruelty laws, support for veterinary procedures including rabies vaccination and sterilisation as necessary to control the number of unwanted dogs, and the promotion of responsible pet ownership".
You can view the full Written Declaration here:
The Animal Welfare Intergroup has also already written several times to the President and Prime Minister of Romania urging them to change their policy towards stray dogs immediately. These have so far been unanswered.
Keith has been liaising with independent charities and animal welfare organisations in Romania and the UK, offering advice where he can to help raise awareness of the issues.
Stray animals are not currently protected by EU animal welfare standards, so it can be difficult for MEPs to intervene in cases relating to stray animals. Keith and the Greens are campaigning for a stronger and more wide-reaching EU animal welfare framework law, which would cover all categories of animal that are subject to some form of animal control, including stray and companion animals. This is something that the European Commission has been considering, and the RSPCA are also currently running a campaign to put pressure on the Commission for the adoption of this new law. Lots more information about it is available on their website:http://www.politicalanimal.org.uk/area/eu/european-elections-2014
You may be interested to hear that the Green Party have a dedicated group to fight for animal welfare issues called Greens4Animals. They have Facebook and Twitter pages set up to campaign for animal rights and raise awareness of both national and international issues affecting animals. You can find them here:
Keith also produces a newsletter called Making Tracks, which outlines the work that he and his colleague Jean Lambert MEP have been doing on animal protection issues. Please see here for the latest edition: http://www.keithtaylormep.org.uk/2013/09/25/making-tracks-autumn-2013/ If you would like to receive bi-annual copies of this publication either by post or e-mail, please let me know.
Many thanks again for raising these concerning events with Keith and please do get back in touch if you have any further questions.
Kind Regards
Katy Cadwallader
Constituency Caseworker
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