Getting our Ducks in a Row

UK ANIMAL WELFARE ACTS FINALLY PASSED

Most of us lucky enough to have a relationship with an animal know that each have the capacity to experience positive and negative feelings such as pleasure, joy, pain and distress. Today, 28th April 2022, the Government's Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill has gained Royal Assent, which means the Queen has formally agreed to make it into an Act of Parliament. So from today UK animals are once again legally recognised as sentient beings who can feel pain and joy. The next step will be the creation of a new Animal Sentience Committee, made up of experts from within the field, to hold the Government to account on how well their decisions have included the welfare of sentient animals. They will publish reports that Ministers need to respond to in Parliament.

On this same day, other essential animal welfare legislation has become law. The Glue Traps (Offences) Act now bans the use of inhumane glue traps that cause widespread suffering for wildlife and pets, and under the Animals (Penalty Notices) Act, people who fail to properly care for their pets, zoo animals and livestock could face fines of up to £5,000. According to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, under this new legislation, fines could be handed out to pet breeders who fail to microchip puppies before being rehomed, horse owners tethering their animal in a way that neglects their basic needs or a farmer transporting livestock that are not fit for travel.

Animal Welfare Minister, Lord Zac Goldsmith said, "We are a nation of animal lovers and the passing of today's legislation is a significant moment for the health and welfare of the country's animals."