Key Facts

• The current maximum penalty under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 is six months' imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.
• The Bill aims to increase this to up to five years’ imprisonment, aligning with penalties in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and India.
• Over 1 million reports of animal mistreatment are made annually, resulting in fewer than 100 ultimate prosecutions.
• The current maximum sentence for animal cruelty is six months imprisonment and £1,000 fine.
• Over one million cases of reported animal cruelty have fewer than 100 prosecutions annually.
• Recent examples include a man receiving an 18-week suspended sentence for severe abuse of his cat.
• Chris Loder gives tribute to the Chairman of the Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
• Live animal exports involve transporting well-cared-for farm animals thousands of miles by land and sea to southern Europe or further destinations like Libya and Lebanon.
• The National Farmers Union supports continuing live animal exports.
• Millions of animals are slaughtered without stunning each year.
• 91 million chickens per year are not stunned at slaughter according to the Food Standards Agency.
• 25% of sheep are not stunned before slaughter.
• Clause 1 changes maximum penalties for five key offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
• Clause 2 outlines that the Bill will come into force two months after Royal Assent.
• The case of Baby the bulldog inspired Anna Turley's Animal Cruelty (Sentencing) Bill in 2017.
• Kerry McCarthy missed having her predecessor Anna Turley in Parliament for her efforts on this issue.
• The Government delayed legislating despite promising to do so quickly, leaving three years without stronger sentencing measures.
• The enforcement of microchipping laws has been limited by the police.
• There are concerns about resources allocated to enforcing dangerous dogs legislation.
• A ban on live exports for fattening but not slaughter was proposed before the general election.
• Breeding chicks may be exempt from a potential ban on live exports.
• Chris Loder introduced the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill.
• The bill aims to increase the maximum sentence for animal cruelty from six months to five years.
• 25% of sheep are slaughtered without being stunned.
• The UK has approximately 50% of adults owning pets.
• There were 1,432 convictions for animal welfare offences by the RSPCA in the previous year.
• In 2016, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee published a report on 'Animal Welfare in England: Domestic Pets'.
• A ban on commercial third-party sales of pets is now in force.
• The current maximum custodial sentence for animal cruelty is six months in England and Wales.
• From 2016 to 2018, RSPCA prosecutions rose by over 200 cases to 1,678.
• In 2018 alone, 862 people were found guilty of animal cruelty offences.
• Ireland and Latvia have introduced sentences of five years for animal cruelty.
• England and Wales need to increase their maximum sentence to align with other UK nations and European standards.
• Chris Loder's Bill is his first private Members' Bill and has universal support.
• The bill proposes raising maximum sentences for animal abuse from six months to five years.
• There are concerns about the financial implications, estimated at £500,000 per annum.
• The Government could have doubled the sentence to one year under section 281(5) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 but did not.
• Choke raises concerns about the Sentencing Council's guidelines.
• The guidelines suggest imprisonment should be reserved for only the most serious offences.
• Magistrates' discretion to impose custodial sentences is constrained by current guidelines.
• The Bill is known as 'Finn's law part 2' and aims to protect service animals.
• The original Finn’s law was marshalled through Parliament in 2019 by Sir Oliver Heald.
• The MP mentions various animal welfare organizations such as Animal Concern, Knoxwood Rescue, RSPCA, Ani-Mel Haven, West Cumbria Wildlife and Rehab, Pet Encounter, Whinmill Farm Canine Centre.
• The Animal Welfare (Sentencing and Recognition of Sentience) Bill was published for consultation in September 2017.
• The draft Bill proposed tougher prison sentences, supported by 70% of people surveyed during consultations.
• The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill had its Second Reading on 9 July 2019.
• The House of Commons Library brief mentions several shocking cases of animal cruelty.
• A man received a suspended prison sentence for torturing and killing a cat in September 2021.
• In April, three puppy spaniels were abandoned with a contagious virus on a roadside near Rochford.
• About 51 million pets are owned by the estimated 44% of UK households who have pets.
• The RSPCA deals with severe cases of animal cruelty daily, receiving calls every 30 seconds.
• Currently, the average sentence for animal cruelty is three and a half months’ imprisonment.
• Chris Loder formerly worked in Sir David Amess's constituency.
• Leaving the EU is significant for animal welfare as it will end the common agricultural policy and common fisheries policy.
• The policies have demanded free movement of live animals across the channel.
• In 2019, over half of immediate custodial sentences imposed for animal cruelty were at the upper end of the scale of over 17 weeks.
• During lockdown, the RSPCA dealt with more than 21,000 animal cruelty incidents and saw an increase in animals in its care.
• Only 80% of those prosecuted for animal cruelty each year are convicted, and just 10% receive custodial sentences on average of about three and a half months.
• The current maximum sentence for animal cruelty is six months.
• Only 6% to 11% of people convicted of animal cruelty receive an immediate custodial sentence in the past decade.
• Colburn supports increasing sentences to five years as proposed by the Bill.
• The Bill aims to increase sentencing for animal cruelty and theft.
• Currently, individuals found guilty of stealing pets often receive a fine of about £250 or less.
• There is a maximum sentence of six months’ imprisonment for some animal cruelty crimes.
• The Scottish Parliament passed the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020, which increased penalties for serious animal welfare offences.
• The Bill aims to increase maximum sentences for animal cruelty from six months to five years.
• Previous attempts at passing similar legislation have failed due to election interruptions.
• The estimated cost impact on the criminal justice system is less than half a million pounds per annum.
• The West Rise Junior School in the constituency has a farm where children can learn about animal welfare.
• A small herd of water buffalo at the school inspires creative writing and artwork among students.
• Cats Protection, Wood Green, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home are mentioned as organisations supporting cat welfare.
• The Bill aims to increase sentences for animal cruelty from six months to five years.
• In 2018, a Northampton cat killer received three months in prison for killing seven family pets.
• A man in Wellingborough stabbed a miniature horse over 20 times and was sentenced to two months.
• The Bill is known as Finn’s law after PC Dave Wardell and his police dog Finn's campaign.
• Lisa Garner campaigned for Lucy’s law to end puppy farming.
• The Bill aims to increase maximum sentences for animal cruelty offences.
• Cases of severe abuse like Baby the bulldog and Scamp the terrier highlight the inadequacy of current sentencing laws.
• In Scotland, animals seized under similar circumstances can be rehomed or humanely destroyed without owner consent.
• Dogs Trust suggests an animal welfare inspectorate could improve enforcement.
• The current maximum sentence for animal cruelty offences in England and Wales is six months.
• Calls to the RSPCA cruelty line increased by almost 50,000 between 2018 and 2019, reaching a total of 1.2 million.
• In one case, a cat died after being left in a washing machine for hours; the perpetrator received only a disqualification from keeping animals for five years and a four-month detention training order with £200 compensation payment.
• The UK has a high proportion of charitable giving to animal charities compared to other countries.
• Charney Romanian Rescue Dogs and the Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary support the Bill.
• Island Farm donkey sanctuary cares for over 120 donkeys from across Europe.
• Mike Wood mentions Bella, his office dog who won second place in last year’s Westminster dog of the year competition.
• Sarah Atherton shares a personal story about rescuing a mistreated dog named Hound who lived for another 15 years with her family.
• Vets in Wrexham are concerned about 'covid pups' purchased during lockdown and worry about potential behavioural problems or abandonment due to ongoing restrictions.
• The Bill aims to increase penalties for animal cruelty.
• Experiments on living rats include injections into eyeballs with no mention of painkillers.
• There is an issue in Beaconsfield where horses and dogs are abandoned, malnourished and mistreated.
• The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill has faced numerous delays since its initial introduction in 2017.
• Over 68,000 people have emailed their MPs asking for support for this measure.
• EU countries and other nations like Canada and Australia have maximum sentences of two to five years for animal cruelty offences.
• The RSPCA reported over 27,507 incidents of animal cruelty and neglect since the lockdown began.
• The protections currently in place will slip away after the end of the transition period.
• A letter signed by a coalition of 11 organisations, including RSPCA, Blue Cross, and Dogs Trust, expressed concerns about the diminishing confidence in the Government’s commitment to deliver the Bill.
• The speaker supports the Bill but seeks improvements in Committee, focusing on extending its scope beyond domestic animals.
• Andy Carter is a magistrate who has heard animal cruelty cases.
• Jimmy, a cross-breed dog, was subjected to severe mistreatment leading to his death.
• Current sentencing powers allow up to 26 weeks custody or an unlimited fine for the most serious cases under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
• The Animal Welfare Act 2006 currently imposes a six-month sentence for beating a dog to death.
• The Bill proposes increasing the maximum sentence from six months to five years.
• Cases in Cornwall include dogs being starved, cattle kept in mud up to their bellies, and mistreated farm animals.
• The RSPCA investigated over 130,000 complaints of animal cruelty in 2019 but secured only 1,678 convictions.
• The Bill will make the UK one of the toughest nations for sentencing animal cruelty, alongside Canada, New Zealand, Ireland and India.
• Only 10% of reported cases of animal abuse result in prosecution.
• Chris Loder has introduced the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill.
• The petition on pet theft had Bosworth as the 10th constituency with 345 signatures.
• There have been price increases of up to 600% for puppies.
• The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill aims to introduce some of the highest punishments for animal cruelty in the world.
• The EFRA Committee suggested splitting sentencing from sentience, which will be addressed in future legislation.
• In 2018, the Government modernised regulation of dog breeding and pet sales.
• A ban on commercial third-party sales of puppies and kittens was introduced in England in April.
• CCTV is now mandatory in slaughterhouses.
• This is an important milestone for sorting out the legislation.
• Loder acknowledges support from Minister, Rebecca Harris, and Chris Clarkson.
• The Bill will proceed to Committee stage and Report.