Change the law for equalisation for animals to be treated fairly as humans would · petition

What the petition asks

We want the law changed so that any animal abuse/cruelty is equalised and for the prosecution to be higher and the sentencing to be increased.

We believe the current laws that are in place are dreadful and want to get justice for any animal that have sustained serious abuse/cruelty or murder. Animals are not property to be classed as criminal damage when murdered as they are living beings with warm blood running through their veins, they should receive the justice from courts or prosecution service as a human would if they was murdered, they should get the same sentencing guidelines.

Why it was rejected

It was not clear what the petition asked the UK Government or Parliament to do.

Petitions need to call on the Government or Parliament to take a specific action.

We understand that you are concerned about the way animal cruelty offences are currently dealt with, but we're not sure exactly what you'd like the Government or Parliament to do.

The Government is responsible for the legislation which defines animal cruelty and sets out the maximum sentences for these offences.

Decisions about investigating and prosecuting alleged crimes are a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service, not the Government or Parliament.

Sentencing guidelines are produced by the Sentencing Council, which is independent of the Government or Parliament.

We could accept a petition calling for the minimum and maximum sentences for all animal cruelty offences to be increased, if that's what you want to happen.

We have published the following petition, which you might like to sign:

Make unlawfully killing a pet a specific offence with sentences equal to murder: Make unlawfully killing a pet a specific offence with sentences equal to murder

Timeline

7 Feb 2023	Petition opened for signatures
9 Feb 2023	Rejected by the Petitions Committee