Animal abusers in the United Kingdom can now be imprisoned for up to five years for animal cruelty given a new law sealed with the monarchy’s stamp of approval.
The Animal Welfare Sentencing Act, which passed with Royal Assent, increased the maximum sentence for animal abusers from six months to five years and included the possibility of an added, unlimited fine.
The new act, effective June 29, 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,” according to the UK Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs.
The act sends the message that the UK will not tolerate animal cruelty and builds on “Finn’s Law,” passed in 2019, that prevents people from attacking service animals under the claim of self-defense. That law is named after police dog Finn, a German Shepherd who was critically wounded by an attacker while protecting his handling officer, PC Dave Wardell, in 2016.
The suspect who stabbed Finn several times in his chest and head and stabbed Wardell in the hand was charged with causing bodily harm to Wardell, according to BBC. But under previous law, Finn was considered property, and his attacker could only be charged with property damage. Wardell didn’t think Finn would survive the severe injuries, but he pulled through and even appeared on Britain’s Got Talent to bring awareness to the issue of violence against animals.
Now, with Finn’s Law and The Animal Welfare Sentencing Act, animals have stronger protection from animal abusers in the UK.
What’s New…
GREAT NEWS — I LOVE IT — it’s about time — now that horrors to Animals are being exposed more & more, I’m thrilled the world agrees these PSYCHO-ABUSER-KILLERS must be STOPPED — and we’re DOING something about it — THANK YOU a million times.
What a wonderful thing the UK has done with increasing prison time for animal abusers! I only wish the U.S. would do the same instead of giving them a “slap on the wrist”
This laws should have been brought forward a long ago. Where ever the laws are “LAME” & THE PUNISHMENTS ARE A LAUGHING STOCK, that is when the endless cruelty keep repeating. If you need a land with Peace & harmony the LAWS MUST BE HARSH TO ANY CRUELTY DONE TO ANY LIVING BEING. Then only the people will think twice before they do criminal acts. Other than that it is a lawless backboneless politico run country.
Only up tp five year eh!!?? WTF?
Should be the same as if the animal were a child. Decades or life.
Cant believe people can shoot, burn, poison or dump cats or dogs. If they want to take care of them, please dont get an animal in the first place!
This is good!! This is a step in the right direction!!!
Up to 5 years is a start but I still say they should have made it 10 years but let’s just see what happens when this in put to the test. Let’s hope our pathetic justice system will use their powers and protect these precious animals
Thank you for being an empathetic country. You do have empathy for others and the animals thank you so much that just made my heart dance reading this. Hold your head up high UK you’re best
As it should be…such a long time…..
It’s about time. They should also have animal abuser/killer tatooed across their whole forehead to let the world know what heartless, cruel pieces of crap they are.
Thank God. Hope this becomes the norm globally. Can’t come to the U.S. soon enough.
Not enough but it’s a start. Thank you all that got this far.
We need laws like these in Australia.
I hope that we in the United States have punishment of at least the same or even greater.
This news is wonderful, but the government must make sure that these penalties are actually implemented. If it is left totally at the discretion of the Judge, he or she may continue to pass out “slaps on the wrist”
How about fox hunting? Is that, too, now to come under the laws for the protection of wildlife?
Why can’ the US do the same?? 😡😡😡
I enthusiastically applaud this law and the increased penalty for animal abuse in Great Britain. Now, what about Fox hunting?? Isn´t that animal abuse?
Please ban this cruel atavistic practice.
Good for the UK – now North American countries need to take notice and up their laws. Animal abusers are consistently child abusers.
this should be for ALL animals not just dogs… ALL animals deserve protection!!
Please save the innocent
How can we fain control over Finns law here in the US. No animal should be considered property and people should be held accountable for animal abuse. It seems that no matter what an animal is abused if not killed and this really needs to stop. Animals lives matter as well. What can be done the US has more human animals then animals themselves.
Tenfold is great but one hundred fold is better! Animal abusers deserve harsh punishments! They won’t learn any other way!
Justice now!
Typical greenwashing by the horrible Tory government – How come it will still be ok for factory farming to continue, for wildlife to be snared and trapped, suffering terrible deaths, for sentient beings to be tortured in vivesection laboratories? Total hypocrites!
it is very hypocritical. granted, it’s a start, but it’s 2021 and this is only as far as they’ve gotten?
It’s about time.
Take note, America, five years for animal abuse in the U.K.
C’est super, au moins, l’Angleterre, est nettement plus évoluée, que les pays de l’union européenne,
qui comme d’habitude, son trop frileux, pour déplaire au grosse tête, qui prennent toujours les animaux
pour des objets mais, je n’ai jamais, vu une gamelle de chien manger les croquettes mais, c’est normal,
elle c’est un objet tandis, que l’animal, ce comporte comme tout être vivant à faim, et donc mange les
croquettes dans les gamelles
Thank you UK for demonstrating that you will not tolerate animal cruelty anymore. That is the only way to deter monsters from arming innocent animals…..all animals. Thank you for the uplifting post.