Success! The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill has completed its final stage and will now receive Royal Assent
News
We are pleased to see that on 7th April the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill passed its final stage and will soon become law.
This landmark piece of legislation will recognise the sentience of all vertebrate animals, decapod crustaceans and cephalopods. It will also promote the legal protection of animals when new laws and policies are made.
We welcome the inclusion of an Animal Sentience Committee (ASC) within the Bill that will require the Government to consider the effect that policies will have on animal welfare. This is an important step in ensuring the UK remains a world leader in animal welfare.
World Animal Protection would like to thank all our supporters who have spoken up for animals and supported the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill – without your help, we would not be able to hold the Government to account.
Jessica Terry, World Animal Protection UK external affairs manager:
“It is fantastic news that the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill has been passed with the inclusion of an Animal Sentience Committee (ASC) and that it will be a legal requirement to consider the impact new policies will have on the welfare of animals. We now hope the Government keeps its commitments and ensures that the Animals Abroad Bill and Kept Animals Bill, both of which enjoy substantial public support, are not abandoned.”
Unfortunately, our work does not stop here. We need your help to make sure that the Government does not abandon the Animals Abroad Bill and Kept Animals Bill. These Bills would ban primates as pets, ban the import of hunting trophies, and end the advertising of cruel elephant rides abroad among other protections for animals. Abandoning these Bills will put the lives of many animals at risk and sacrifice their welfare.
Together we must continue to speak up for animals because when they suffer, we all suffer.
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Without our supporter's help, we would not be able to hold the Government to account.