Support for Animal Sentencing Bill in the UK

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Support for Animal Sentencing Bill in the UK

8 June 2020
RSPCA
News
The RSPCA has backed the calls for tougher sentencing of animal abusers, seeking to raise awareness of the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill, which the Labour party today asked the Government to bring to the House of Commons in August.

The RSPCA is supporting calls for tougher sentences of up to five years in jail for the worst animal abusers to be made law by Autumn. 

Front line RSPCA officers have dealt with more than 47,000 incidents between the start of the lock-down on March 23 and May 31. Dealing with some of the worst cases of neglect and cruelty RSPCA has long campaigned for tougher sentences for animal cruelty offenders but feared that the pressures on Government dealing with the COVID-19 crisis meat the important Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill could be forgotten.

We are pleased to see the opposition calling on the Government to get the Animal Sentencing Bill on the statute books by Autumn. As a charity which deals with some of the worst animal cruelty cases, we believe the current sentencing provisions, which only allow for a maximum of six months in prison does not go far enough.

...the current maximum sentence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 means you could face a longer prison sentence for fly tipping than beating an animal to death. As a nation that prides itself on its love of animals, this is simply not acceptable!

David Bowles, RSPCA Head of Public Affairs
The post 'Support for Animal Sentencing Bill in the UK' is modified from an article published by The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in their original language.