Petition · past parliament
dogs in hot cars to be a criminal offence and not viewed as a civil case
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
Enforce the animal welfare act. It is currently stated it is a criminal offence to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal by act or failure. Yet the police will not get involved and advise it is a civil matter for the RSPCA to investigate. The law should NOT be in the hands of a charity.
Recently 2 very different cases have happened, both resulting in the dogs dying in hot cars. In both cases the police dismiss the events stating it is only the RSPCA who can prosecute. This is a criminal offence and should NOT be relying soley on a charity. The police state it is a civil matter, yet the law states its a criminal offence. If the actions of a person directly cause suffering/death to an animal the police AND RSPCA should enforce appropriate penalties as per current legislation
Why it was rejected
It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.
We understand you're concerned about the welfare of dogs in hot weather, however the Animal Welfare Act 2006 already makes it an offence if a person causes, by act or omission, an animal to suffer. This would cover suffering caused by taking a dog for a walk in excessive heat.
The Government's code of practice for the welfare of dogs, which provides owners and keepers with information on how to meet the welfare needs of their animals, and can be used in courts as evidence in cases brought before them relating to poor welfare, specifically highlights the risks of heat stress: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/697953/pb13333-cop-dogs-091204.pdf
Decisions about investigating alleged animal welfare offences and prosecuting these are a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service, not the Government or House of Commons.
If you are concerned about how police in your area respond to reports of animal cruelty, you could raise these concerns with your Police and Crime Commissioner, who is responsible for overseeing policing in your area. You can find contact details for your Police and Crime Commissioner here: https://www.apccs.police.uk/find-your-pcc/
The Government's code of practice for the welfare of dogs, which provides owners and keepers with information on how to meet the welfare needs of their animals, and can be used in courts as evidence in cases brought before them relating to poor welfare, specifically highlights the risks of heat stress: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/697953/pb13333-cop-dogs-091204.pdf
Decisions about investigating alleged animal welfare offences and prosecuting these are a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service, not the Government or House of Commons.
If you are concerned about how police in your area respond to reports of animal cruelty, you could raise these concerns with your Police and Crime Commissioner, who is responsible for overseeing policing in your area. You can find contact details for your Police and Crime Commissioner here: https://www.apccs.police.uk/find-your-pcc/
Timeline
| 26 Jun 2023 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 30 Jun 2023 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
30 Jun 2023
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.