Petition · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Introduce lifetime bans for all animal abusers and DBS checks for pet sitters
Open for signatures
76 signatures
What the petition asks
Recent cases of animal abuse, including those trusted to care for pets, have exposed gaps in current protections. There is no legal requirement for pet sitters to undergo background checks, and no formal system to prevent individuals with a history of animal cruelty from working with animals.
Data from the RSPCA shows that thousands of cruelty complaints are investigated each year, with hundreds of prosecutions, yet we believe sentencing outcomes remain inconsistent and often do not act as a sufficient deterrent. Currently, there is:
• No requirement for background checks for those working with animals
• No automatic lifetime bans for the most serious offenders
• No system to ensure offenders are prevented from reoffending in animal care roles
• No requirement for background checks for those working with animals
• No automatic lifetime bans for the most serious offenders
• No system to ensure offenders are prevented from reoffending in animal care roles
Timeline
| 14 May 2026 | Petition opened for signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
76
Status
Open for signatures
Department
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Opened
14 May 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 26 Jul 2026.