Petition · past parliament
Enshrine in domestic law the recognition of animals as sentient beings.
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
On 15 November 2017 MPs held a debate to transfer the EU protocol on animal sentience set out in Article 13 of the Lisbon Treaty into UK Law, so that animals continue to be recognised as sentient beings under domestic law. This central covenant of animal welfare was rejected by a small majority.
"Animal sentience is the founding principle of animal welfare science, and for the way we should treat all animals" says Gudrun Ravetz, Senior Vice president of the British Veterinary Association. This action undermines the Governments previous promises that the UK will continue to be at the forefront of animal health and welfare standards post-Brexit. It has significant implications on all animal welfare; wild, domestic and farmed animals. Animal sentience must be enshrined in UK domestic law.
Why it was rejected
There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.
Timeline
| 21 Nov 2017 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 24 Nov 2017 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
24 Nov 2017
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.