Following a weekend of celebrations for St Dwynwen’s Day, Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest animal welfare charity, wants the people of Wales to extend this love to the 730,000 dogs that call Wales home.1 Today, the charity has launched its Senedd Election Manifesto, outlining the steps it would like to see Welsh politicians take to improve the welfare of dogs living in the country.
As a nation of dog lovers, Wales is already leading the United Kingdom in dog welfare, thanks to its commitment to bringing Greyhound racing to an end through the Greyhound Racing (Wales) bill, which is currently working its way through the Senedd. But Dogs Trust says there is more to be done.
The manifesto, titled ‘For Dogs, Then, Now, Always.’, outlines how Dogs Trust is calling for the Government to take action and improve the quality of life for dogs across Wales. The seven-point plan highlights the major issues facing owners and their pets and outlines the changes policymakers need to implement to strengthen dog welfare nationwide.
- Regulation of Animal Welfare Establishments: Currently, anyone in Wales can set themselves up as an animal rescue and rehome dogs. This must change. Dogs Trust wants clear rules, regular inspections, and a central database to protect dogs and owners across Wales.
- Improved dog breeding laws: Dogs Trust wants the Government to close loopholes and require anyone breeding or selling puppies to register from the first litter of puppies, with strong welfare standards for all dogs involved in breeding.
- Traceability for all dogs: Currently, with 13 microchip search systems available across the UK, tracing dogs when they go missing is more complex than it needs to be. Dogs Trust is calling for a single, UK-wide, microchip search system, with breeder details recorded at puppy registration.
- Responsible pet advertising: Leading animal welfare organisations recently warned prospective owners of the dangers of buying pets online. They found more than 400 adverts that could be associated with unscrupulous breeding and selling, or that could be a sign that the animal was illegally smuggled into the country. Dogs Trust is calling for tougher rules for online adverts, so buyers can trust who they’re buying from.
- Better access to pet-friendly housing: Last year, more than 6,400 handover enquiries received by Dogs Trust across the UK were from people experiencing accommodation issues. Increasing access to pet-friendly housing is therefore vital. Dogs Trust is calling for fairer rules of refusals, faster landlord responses and changes to local authority rules on discharge of duty to find suitable accommodation.
- Smarter responsible dog ownership policies: Dogs Trust wants the Government to overhaul ineffective breed-specific bans and replace them with breed-neutral laws and early intervention to prevent incidents.
- An end to greyhound racing: Data published by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain shows that across the UK since 2017, 4,034 greyhounds have died or been put to sleep because of their involvement with racing, while there have been more than 35,000 injuries. The Government must pass legislation as soon as possible to stop unnecessary suffering and give every Greyhound a chance at a happy life.
The manifesto launch comes after St Dwynwen’s Day, the most romantic day of the year in Wales, and Dogs Trust wants to celebrate the special bond shared between people and their beloved four-legged companions. This is something the Dogs Trust team does every day in Wales via its two rehoming centres in Cardiff and Bridgend. Since 2021, the charity has found loving homes for more than 4,000 dogs across the nation, and in 2025 alone, rehomed over 850 dogs from Dogs Trust Cardiff.
Owen Sharp, Chief Executive of Dogs Trust, says: “The last five years have dramatically altered the landscape of dog welfare. Demand for our services has hugely increased, as have challenges with rehoming dogs, more of whom are arriving into our care requiring additional support. There has never been a greater need for legislation that protects the welfare of dogs.
“In Wales, we have made great strides in promoting and protecting dog welfare. Dogs Trust, along with members of the Cut the Chase Coalition, have secured a huge victory for the welfare of racing greyhounds during the previous Senedd term. Wales became the first UK nation to announce its intention to end greyhound racing, and we hope to see the proposed legislation pass as soon as possible. Of course, we stand ready to help every Greyhound that needs a home as a result of the industry coming to an end in Wales.
“Looking ahead to the next Senedd term, we remain committed to working with policymakers, partners, and supporters to deliver policies that improve dog welfare, just as we have always done.”
