I was delighted to speak this morning on the Animal (Penalty Notices) Bill, which will crack down on animal offenders and provide enforcement bodies with the powers to serve penalty notices for animal health and welfare offences following the landmark Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill. The Bill continues to make its way through Parliament, and I am glad to have had the chance to raise a number of points with the Government in relation to ensuring we get the enforcement side of this right.
Individuals who commit offences against animals will face fines of up to £5,000 under new legislation introduced to Parliament. The fines will be introduced to ensure that offenders face tougher penalties for crimes in addition to the existing maximum 5 year prison sentence for the most serious offences.
The Animals (Penalty Notices) Bill, a Private Members’ Bill introduced by Andrew Rosindell MP and which is backed by the Government, will create a system of a financial penalties of up to £5,000 for animal health and welfare offences. The penalties, which could include on-the-spot fines, can be issued to individuals who have cruelly mistreated pets, zoo animals and livestock.
These new penalties will provide the authorities with an additional enforcement measure to be used alongside warnings and criminal prosecution. These penalties will introduce a more consistent and targeted approach to protecting all animals from harm.
The UK has a long history of tackling animal cruelty. The new fines will act as a key deterrent to would be animal abusers in addition to the new five year maximum prison sentence for animal cruelty, which was introduced by the Government through the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill earlier this year.
