New Bill Could See Animal Abusers Jailed For Up To Five Years

Owners who are convicted of beating their pet could face up to five years in prison, under a new bill being proposed by the UK Government.

This will see the very worst cases of cruelty, such as dog fighting, abuse of puppies and kittens, as well as gross neglect of farm animals, hit with much harsher sentences.

It also marks a massive increase on the current sentencing guidelines for animal abuse, which put the maximum prison term at just six months.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove announced the groundbreaking piece of legislation, which will represent one of the toughest crackdowns in the whole of Europe.

He said: "There is no place in this country for animal cruelty. That is why I want to make sure that those who abuse animals are met with the full force of the law."

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"Our new Bill sends a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated, with the maximum five-year sentence one of the toughest punishments in Europe.

"I am committed to making our country the best place in the world for the care and protection of animals."

Throughout 2018, the RSPCA received 1,175,193 calls to their 24-hour cruelty hotline; one every 27 seconds.

Welfare specialists have lauded the new bill as a 'landmark' move. Reacting to the news, Claire Horton, chief executive of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, said she has seen the devastating consequences abuse can have, and believes tougher sentences will make a big difference.

She said: "The introduction of this bill is a landmark achievement, which will make a profound difference to dogs and cats in England and Wales.

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"We, and many other rescue centres, see shocking cases of cruelty and neglect come through our gates and there are many more animals that are dumped and don't even make it off the streets. Research shows that tougher prison sentences act as a deterrent to would-be criminals, so today's announcement should prevent the suffering of many animals in the future."

Animal Welfare Minister, David Rutley, added: "These increased maximum sentences will act as a serious deterrent against cruelty and neglect in the future. This step builds on recent positive action we have taken to protect animals, including plans to ban third party puppy and kitten sales and banning the use of wild animals in circuses."

Today's announcement follows on from Finn's Law, which came into effect earlier this year and offers more protection to service animals.

Topics: UK News, Interesting, Animals

Dominic Smithers

Dominic graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History. Like you, Dom has often questioned how much use a second language has been. Well, after stints working at the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express, along with never setting foot in France, he realised the answer is surprisingly little. But I guess, c'est la vie. Contact us at [email protected]

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