English: I'm very grateful for the opportunity to discuss this important issue today, namely animal welfare. It's an issue that I'm sure each and every one of us believes is important, because our constituents are of course very concerned about this issue. Indeed, data from 2019 suggests that a quarter of the Welsh population owns a cat and one in three is a dog owner - the feline friends and the canine companions, as Sam Kurtz referred to earlier. However, one could argue that many of the laws relating to the trading of companion animals are very dated now. Selling pets online, for example, is something that couldn't have been imagined by those who drafted the companion animal legislation back in 1951, 70 years ago. The world has changed so much since that legislation was passed. Plaid Cymru has called consistently on the Government to work with stakeholders to build on the high level of animal welfare that is already in place in Wales, and for that reason, Plaid Cymru will support the Conservative motion today, as it does reflect those principles in full and calls for further action from the Welsh Government that will have a positive impact on animal welfare. The pandemic, of course, has had a huge impact on the capacity and funding of a number of animal welfare organisations the length and breadth of the country. For example, the Dogs Trust in Bridgend saw a reduction of 44 per cent in rehoming rates for dogs, whilst the demand for rehoming had increased by 73 per cent between April 2020 and March 2021 - that's a very significant increase indeed. Likewise, there was a significant impact on the dogs' school education programme because of the pandemic. The number of owners that participated in training programmes in 2020 was reduced by 73 per cent as compared to the previous year. The sector, therefore, needs our support to help them to reach out to communities across Wales to safeguard animal welfare. And although I welcome the Welsh Government animal welfare plan, the sector has concerns in terms of rescuing animals from harm and the rehoming centres, specifically in terms of the timelines outlined and the lack of urgency.
Welsh: Dwi'n ddiolchgar iawn am y cyfle heddiw i drafod y mater pwysig yma, sef lles anifeiliaid. Mae e'n fater dwi'n siŵr bod pob un ohonom ni yn credu sy'n bwysig, achos mae ein hetholwyr ni yn poeni'n fawr iawn am y mater hwn. Yn wir, mae data o 2019 yn awgrymu bod chwarter poblogaeth Cymru yn perchen ar gath a rhyw un o bob tri yn perchen ar gi - y feline friends a'r canine companions roedd Sam Kurtz yn cyfeirio atyn nhw yn gynharach. Fodd bynnag, gellid dadlau bod llawer o'r cyfreithiau sy'n ymwneud â masnachu anifeiliaid anwes wedi hen ddyddio erbyn heddiw. Mae gwerthu anifeiliaid anwes ar-lein, er enghraifft, yn rhywbeth na fyddai hyd yn oed wedi bod ym meddyliau'r sawl a ddrafftiodd y Ddeddf anifeiliaid anwes nôl ym 1951, sef 70 mlynedd yn ôl, cymaint y mae'r byd wedi newid ers y Ddeddf honno. Mae Plaid Cymru wedi galw'n gyson ar y Llywodraeth i weithio gyda rhanddeiliaid i adeiladu ar y lefel uchel o safonau lles anifeiliaid sydd eisoes ar waith yng Nghymru, ac am y rheswm hwnnw, mi fydd Plaid Cymru yn cefnogi cynnig y Ceidwadwyr heddiw, gan ei fod yn adlewyrchu'r egwyddorion hynny yn llawn ac yn galw am weithredu pellach gan Lywodraeth Cymru a fydd yn cael effaith gadarnhaol ar les anifeiliaid. Mae'r pandemig, wrth gwrs, wedi cael effaith aruthrol ar gapasiti a chyllid nifer o sefydliadau lles anifeiliaid ledled y wlad. Er enghraifft, gwelodd yr Ymddiriedolaeth Cŵn ym Mhen-y-Bont ar Ogwr ostyngiad o 44 y cant mewn cyfraddau ailgartrefi cŵn, tra bod galwadau i ailgartrefi cŵn wedi cynyddu gan 73 y cant rhwng Ebrill 2020 a Mawrth 2021 - mae hynny'n gynnydd sylweddol iawn, iawn. Yn yr un modd, effeithiwyd yn sylweddol ar raglenni addysg tîm ysgol cŵn de Cymru gan y pandemig. Roedd nifer y perchnogion oedd yn gallu cymryd rhan mewn rhaglenni hyfforddi yn 2020 wedi gostwng 73 y cant o'i gymharu â'r flwyddyn flaenorol. Mae'r sector angen ein cefnogaeth, felly, i'w helpu unwaith eto i estyn allan at gymunedau ledled Cymru i ddiogelu lles anifeiliaid. Er fy mod yn croesawu cynllun lles anifeiliaid Llywodraeth Cymru, mae pryderon gan y sector o ran achub anifeiliaid rhag niwed a dyfodol ailgartrefi, neu'r canolfannau ailgartrefi yn hytrach, yn benodol o safbwynt y llinellau amser sydd wedi cael eu nodi a'r diffyg brys.