A FORMER federal senator is calling on the NSW Government to cough up more cash for animal welfare.

Norm Sanders, 80, who sat on the Senate Animal Welfare committee for five years in the 1980s, said animal welfare is one of the most under-funded issues in NSW.

"I am very concerned about animal welfare issues like those horses that were found starving near Nimbin last week," he said.

"What it seems is there is no governmental agency around here which is interested in animal welfare."

Mr Sanders said there was only one RSPCA officer stationed to cover an area between Coffs Harbour and the Queensland border.

He said it was about time the NSW government got serious about animal welfare and poured more funding into the serious issue.

"The police have the legal power to take action but they have so many other things to do," he said.

"The Animal Rights and Rescue Group here in Lismore are trying to do a job but they don't have any funds.

"The state government is just dumping this whole issue on volunteers."

Mr Sanders said there were two solutions to the problem.

"More funding for the RSPCA and more funding for volunteer groups, some funding to do some good work so they can buy whatever they need for the animals so that they can do the job that they're trying to do. The other thing I would like to see is more people making people aware of animal welfare issues."