Cruelty campaign calls for tougher prison sentences
Currently, the maximum prison sentence for animal cruelty in England and Wales is just six months in prison.
Members of the public are being urged to contact their MP and call for tougher sentences for those who seriously abuse or neglect animals.
Currently, the maximum prison sentence for animal cruelty in England and Wales is just six months in prison. But Battersea Dogs and Cats Home are calling for this to be increased to five years.
To date, more than 10,500 people have pledged their support to the campaign, including more than 40 members of parliament.
“Battersea’s research into extreme animal cruelty tells us the sentences handed out are actually no punishment at all,” said Battersea’s chief executive, Claire Horton. “We and many other rescue centres see shocking cases of cruelty and neglect come through our gates and there are many more that are dumped and don’t even make it off the streets.”
“We looked at 100 different jurisdictions across the world and England and Wales’ maximum six-month sentence is the lowest, lagging far behind countries like Ireland at five years and Germany at three years. It would be laughable if it weren’t so shocking.”
Last year, two brothers from Redcar admitted animal cruelty after they were filmed throwing their bulldog down a flight of stairs. The bulldog died from her injuries but the brothers walked free from court with a suspended sentence of 21 weeks.
In another case, a London man admitted torturing and killing nine puppies after local vets became suspicious and raised the alarm. Following an RSPCA investigation, he received the maximum sentence possible - just six months in prison.
Claire Horton continued: “It isn’t acceptable that our courts are unable to hand out tougher sentences in such extreme animal cruelty cases, yet the likes of fly-tipping can result in prison sentences of up to five years. So let’s get this into proportion and let the punishment for abusing animals truly fit the crime.”
For more information about the campaign and to lend your support, visit www.battersea.org.uk/notfunny.
The BSAVA has opened submissions for the BSAVA Clinical Research Abstracts 2026.
