"My Bill delivers a strong message to animal abusers that their behaviour will no longer be tolerated" - Chris Loder MP.

Bill will raise the maximum prison sentence for animal abusers to five years.

Tougher prison sentences for perpetrators of animal cruelty moved a step closer on Friday (23 October) as The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill passed its second reading.

The Bill, also known as Finn’s Law Part 2, will raise the maximum jail sentences for animal cruelty from six months to five years - among the toughest for animal abuse in Europe.

It follows a public consultation in 2017, in which more than 70 per cent of people supported calls for more stringent sentences for those found guilty of animal cruelty offences.

MP Chris Loder, who introduced the Bill to Parliament in February, said: “It is high time as a nation that we take the lead on global standards for animal welfare and hand down tougher custodial sentences for those who inflict the worst kinds of cruelty on innocent animals.
 
“My Bill, which I’m pleased has cross-party support and is fully endorsed by the RSPCA and other animal welfare charities, delivers a strong message to animal abusers that their behaviour will no longer be tolerated. We need to get it on the statute book and send a clear signal to potential offenders there is no place for animal cruelty in this country.”

Animal welfare minister Lord Goldsmith added: “There is no place for animal cruelty in this country and this crucial piece of legislation will bring in more stringent sentences for animal abusers who commit the most heinous crimes, cementing our role as a global leader in animal welfare.

“In addition to supporting this Bill, we are taking steps to ban primates as pets, crack down on the illegal smuggling of dogs and puppies, and we will be making good on our commitment to end excessively long journeys for slaughter and fattening of farm animals.”

The Bill will now progess to the Committee Stage, Report Stage and Third Reading stage before undergoing further scrutiny in the House of Lords .

RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said: “We’re thrilled that The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill has passed through this stage and that we’re one step closer to getting real justice for abused and neglected animals in this country.

“In the three years since the Government pledged to increase the maximum sentence under the Animal Welfare Act from six months to five years, immediate custodial sentences have been imposed on 132 individuals following RSPCA investigations into cruelty and these included horrendous cases such as a dog who was kicked to death by her owner and a man who bit off a kitten’s ear.

“Tougher sentencing would give courts more flexibility to impose longer prison terms on those people guilty of the most serious offences to better reflect the severity of the crimes and to act as a stronger deterrent to others.”