Animals feel pain and joy

Finally instead of fitting in with the EU, England & Wales are free to introduce stricter sentencing for animal cruelty.

We have increased maximum sentencing for worst animal cruelty offences from 6 months to 5 years.  Launching the Bill, Animal Welfare minister Lord Goldsmith said:

“The UK has always led the way on animal welfare and now that we’ve left the EU we are free to drive for the highest standards of animal welfare anywhere in the world.”

Formally recognising in law that animals are sentient and experience feelings in the same way humans do is just the first step in our flagship Action Plan for Animal Welfare which will further transform the lives of animals in this country and strengthen our position as a global leader.”

Here at Lingfield our students on equine management courses are well aware of the issues of welfare. The Accredited Responsible Groom course and  The Responsible Groom course for Riding Schools/Trekking Centres and professional yards brings this into sharp focus.

Tougher prison sentences for animal cruelty will come into force this summer after the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill received Royal Assent today. This means that the maximum prison sentence for animal cruelty will be raised from six months to five years from 29 June 2021.

The new maximum penalty will enable courts to take a firmer approach to cases such as dog fighting, abuse of puppies and kittens, illegally cropping a dog’s ears and gross neglect of farm animals. As well as a prison sentence, offenders can also receive an unlimited fine.

The more stringent sentences will be some of the toughest in Europe.

The legislation will also ensure that animal sentience is taken into account when developing policy across Government through the creation of a Animal Sentience Committee which will be made up of animal experts from within the field.

By enshrining sentience in domestic law in this way, any new legislation will have to take into account the fact that animals can experience feelings such as pain or joy. The Bill will underpin the Government’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare, which launched in May and sets out the government’s plans to improve standards and eradicate cruel practices for animals both domestically and internationally.