Close Menu
Pet Business World
  • Trade News
    • Distributors
    • International
    • Legislation
    • Manufacturers
    • Other trades
    • Retailers
  • New Products
    • Birds
    • Cats
    • Dogs
    • Small Animals
  • Features
    • Industry Experts
    • Retailer profiles
  • Aquatics
  • Columnists
    • Newshound
    • Reptile Trade Views
  • People
  • Magazines
    • March 2025
    • February 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • October 2024
  • Classifieds
  • Trade Directory
  • Advertise
  • Email Newsletters
  • Subscribe
Facebook X (Twitter)
  • FREE Email Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Free Magazine Subscriptions
X (Twitter) Facebook
Pet Business World
  • Trade News
    • Distributors
    • International
    • Legislation
    • Manufacturers
    • Other trades
    • Retailers
  • New Products
    • Birds
    • Cats
    • Dogs
    • Small Animals
  • Features
    • Industry Experts
    • Retailer profiles
  • Aquatics
  • Columnists
    • Newshound
    • Reptile Trade Views
  • People
  • Magazines
    1. May 2025
    2. April 2025
    3. March 2025
    4. February 2025
    5. January 2025
    6. December 2024
    Featured

    PBW News – May 2025

    By David ReesMay 13, 2025
    Recent

    PBW News – May 2025

    May 13, 2025

    PBW News – April 2025

    April 24, 2025

    PBW News – March 2025

    March 11, 2025
  • Classifieds
  • Trade Directory
Pet Business World
Legislation

Cruelty maximum sentence increased from today

Rachel WoodBy Rachel WoodJune 29, 20212 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

width="570"

People who abuse animals can now face a maximum sentence of five years in prison as the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act came into effect today (Tuesday) after passing into law in April.

After years of campaigning, the RSPCA is celebrating this ‘milestone’. Chief executive Chris Sherwood said: “This is a landmark day for animals and animal welfare in England and Wales.

“For almost 200 years, the RSPCA has been investigating animal cruelty and rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals. While we’ve seen vast changes in the way we keep animals during that time, as well as huge advances in legislation to better protect animal welfare, our sentences for animal abusers have long been letting our animals down.

“We’re absolutely thrilled that we’ve now reached this milestone moment and that courts will now have more flexibility to hand out sentences that better reflect the severity of the crimes they are dealing with and we hope the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act will act as a greater deterrent and help us cancel out cruelty once and for all.”

CRUELTY

The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 increases the maximum sentencing under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 from six months to five years for cruelty and fighting offences. It comes into effect in both England and Wales on the same day, The new law brings England in line with Scotland and Northern Ireland, where convicted animal abusers can be jailed for up to five years.

“The reform is long overdue,” Chris added. “For years, those responsible for the most horrific, violent and unimaginable cruelty to animals have been punished with just a few short months in prison, less than they might get for fly tipping…

“At least going forward our courts will be able to hand out sentences in animal cruelty cases that truly reflect the severity of the crimes.

“I’d like to thank all of the politicians who supported this Bill and I’d also like to congratulate everyone – from members of the public to organisations involved in the campaign – on this victory; it belongs to us all and shows what can be achieved when we all work together.”

In 2017, the UK Government pledged to reform the maximum sentence for those prosecuted under the Animal Welfare Act, receiving support from cross-party politicians. This bill was brought forward by MP Chris Loder as a Private Members’ Bill in June 2019.

Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Previous ArticlePurina helps dogs in need
Next Article Train like a cathlete says Catit Nuna
Rachel Wood

Rachel Wood, graphic designer. More than 40 years ago, I was one of the first females to be offered an apprenticeship within the printing industry. I've worked on record sleeves, DVD covers and various magazines throughout my career. In my spare time I collect movie posters and attend comic cons, I keep fit (and sane) with gardening and strength & conditioning training.

Read Similar Stories

Legislation

Competition authority suggests remedies for vet market

May 2, 2025
Legislation

PIF urges action on licensing data gaps

February 12, 2025
Legislation

PIF launches Business Toolkit

January 8, 2025
Most Read

Pedigree Wholesale cuts prices on 500 products

May 19, 2025

Omni builds novel protein wet food range

May 19, 2025

Finalists announced for PIF Innovation Award

May 16, 2025
© 2024 Lewis Business Media. All Rights Reserved.
Lewis Business Media, Suite A, Arun House, Office Village, River Way, Uckfield, TN22 1SL

Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions

  • OvertheCounter
  • Pest Magazine

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “ACCEPT ALL”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsREJECT ALLAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
AWSALBCORS7 daysThis cookie is managed by Amazon Web Services and is used for load balancing.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Necessary" category .
PHPSESSIDsessionThis cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
CookieDurationDescription
AWSALB7 daysAWSALB is a cookie generated by the Application load balancer in the Amazon Web Services. It works slightly different from AWSELB.
explat_test_aa_weekly_lohp_2021_week_4517 days 8 hoursNo description
ppwp_wp_session30 minutesNo description
tk_ai14 daysGathers information for WordPress by themselves, first party analytics tool about how WP services are used. A collection of internal metrics for user activity, used to improve user experience.
tk_qssessionGathers information for WordPress by themselves, first party analytics tool about how WP services are used. A collection of internal metrics for user activity, used to improve user experience.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescription
OAGEOsessionOpenX sets this cookie to avoid the repeated display of the same ad.
OAID1 yearThis cookie is set when an AdsWizz website visitor have opted out the collection of information by AdsWizz service or opted to disable the targeted ads by AdsWizz.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
_ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_31822138_71 minuteSet by Google to distinguish users.
_gid1 dayInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
tk_lr1 yearThe tk_lr is a referral cookie set by the JetPack plugin on sites using WooCommerce, which analyzes referrer behaviour for Jetpack.
tk_or5 yearsThe tk_or is a referral cookie set by the JetPack plugin on sites using WooCommerce, which analyzes referrer behaviour for Jetpack.
tk_r3d3 daysJetPack installs this cookie to collect internal metrics for user activity and in turn improve user experience.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo