50 Animal Charities Say: #ActNowForAnimals

The Scottish SPCA is part of an unprecedented coalition of 50 animal welfare charities urging the UK Government to grasp a ‘once-in-a-generation opportunity’ to redefine our relationship with animals through a new animal health and welfare strategy.

The group has today (Saturday 8 April) released a report – “Act Now For Animals” – setting out the sector’s priorities for creating a society which rebalances the way we rear, live and work with animals.

The group has published a report – Act Now For Animals – which details 40 recommendations covering the welfare of companion animals, wildlife, exotics and farm animals. We are also calling on the new Animal Sentience Committee to be able to hold the Government to account and have an independent chair and leading animal welfare experts on board.

Read the Report

Our chief executive, Kirsteen Campbell, said: “Our understanding of what animal welfare and animal sentience is has fundamentally changed in recent years. The time is now for the UK Government to produce an ambitious, visionary strategy and put the resources in place to support its delivery. Whilst some positive legal reforms have been implemented in Scotland and across the UK recently, this bold new plan for animal welfare must reflect the way humanity’s relationship with animals has evolved, taking into account the urgent need to protect animals and their habitats.

“We’ve united with dozens of organisations across the animal welfare sector because we, as well as the general public, recognise the urgency with which policymakers must act to alter the way we interact with and treat pets, wildlife and farm animals.”

Chris Packham, who has lent his support to the charities, added: “The last animal welfare strategy was 17 years ago in 2004 and so much has changed since then. The past two decades have seen an attitudinal change in the public and growing scientific understanding that animals have emotions, feelings and needs and deserve a good life.

“We must act now for animals and ensure the Government does not squander this opportunity to build a world-leading animal welfare strategy, fit for the 21st century and deserving of this nation of animal lovers.”

The Green Paper, which has received cross party support, sets out 40 recommendations across species to address the most pressing welfare issues facing animals now, including:

• An end to live exports for slaughter and further fattening
• A ban on farrowing crates for sows and cages for hens and ensuring the UK’s new farm payment systems do not give money to farms who continue to operate cage systems
• Legislation to raise the minimum age of puppies and kittens imported into the UK from 15 weeks to six months
• Urgent action to tackle pet theft
• A ban on the importation or sale of dogs with cropped ears
• A ban on keeping primates as pets and a comprehensive review of wild animals being kept as pets
• A complete review of wildlife legislation building on the recommendations provided by the Law Commission’s 2015 Wildlife Law report
• A ban on the sale and use of glue traps and snares which cause indiscriminate suffering
• A ban on trophy hunting imports and the sale and import of fur and foie gras
• Many of these key animal welfare issues are devolved – and the coalition of organisations is calling for action from the devolved administrations across the UK to act too to ensure standards are improved across the board.

Read the report

Enforcement must be a statutory obligation under any legislation and furthermore the effectiveness of existing and new laws must be more robustly and regularly reviewed to ensure they are achieving their intentions.