A MOTION was backed to stop pets being given as prizes on Denbighshire council owned land.
At a meeting this week, Cllr Jon Harland put a motion before the council on behalf of the Green Party saying he was concerned about the number of cases reported to the RSPCA, regarding pets being awarded as prizes.
Cllr Harland said the party was particularly concerned about pet prizes being awarded at fairgrounds and on social media.
The motion, which was voted through, stated that many cases of pets being awarded as prizes went unreported.
The council will now move to ban the giving of live animals as prizes, in any form, on Denbighshire land.
Denbighshire will also write to the UK Government, urging an outright ban on the giving of live animals as prizes on both public and private land.
But Cllr Gwyneth Ellis revealed the council had little power on private land.
“A number of councils have already passed a similar motion, I believe, including Conwy and Wrexham, who are neighbouring counties,” she said.
“It appears that Denbighshire can put in place a ban like this by amending the terms and conditions for use of land, so I don’t see any problem with it at all.
“I’m happy to support it. The proposal isn’t asking us to do anything about private land, and we can’t do anything about that.”
She added, “But I’m happy that we write to the UK Government to encourage them to do something.”
But Cllr Terry Mendees asked: “Does that include winning a goldfish at the fairground?”
Chairman Cllr Prendergast nodded, indicating it did.
