The Belfast Telegraph report:

Just one person has been taken to court for animal welfare offences in a year – out of more than 4,000 incidents investigated by Northern Ireland‘s councils.

According to a report seen by theBelfast Telegraph, only two prosecutions were made between April 2, 2012 and April 2, 2013 after councils took over responsibility for enforcing laws aimed at protecting the welfare of pets and horses.

The revelation has prompted criticisms from animal welfare charities who levelled charges of apathy, a lack of knowledge and a lack of interest in making prosecutions.

You can read the full story here.

Matthew Burgess
http://www.mattburgess.co
I am a journalist and author. I am a journalist at the UK edition of WIRED magazine. In 2015, my first book Freedom of Information: A Practical Guide for UK Journalists, was published. My second book Reed Hastings: Building Netflix, was published in March 2020. I created FOI Directory in 2012 and have maintained it in my spare time ever since.