Thank you for contacting me about animal cruelty.
Animals are protected under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which makes it an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021, introduced by the previous Conservative Government, increased the sentences available for the most serious cases of animal cruelty, with a new maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both.
I believe that any case of cruelty is completely unacceptable, and I would welcome prosecutions being brought against anyone who is found to have caused unnecessary suffering to an animal.
I understand that the Police National Computer already records convictions for animal cruelty offences. Certain organisations have access to this information where appropriate to fulfil their public function. This allows this important information to be securely protected from misuse, but also for it to be available for organisations with a justified need to access this information.
While I can understand the reasons some want this to be developed further into a register, it is important that the Government considers how a register would work in practice.
You may be also interested to know that the veterinary profession, led by Dr Paula Boyden, former Veterinary Director of the Dogs Trust and current Chair of the Links Group, is doing much work in this area highlighting the link between animal abuse and human abuse. This work is helping inform vets in the frontline who may be exposed to cases that then need action. You can read more about this work on the Links Group website: https://thelinksgroup.org.uk. More needs to be done across society on this issue and hope the current Government shares this view.
Finally, if anyone is concerned about the welfare of animals, they should report it to the RSPCA (https://www.rspca.org.uk/reportaconcern) or, if the situation is urgent, to the police.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.