Success: UK Law to Recognize that Animals Feel Pain

Target: Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Goal: Support the promise to ensure that animal sentience is specifically recognized by UK law.

The welfare of UK animals was severely threatened when lawmakers voted to disregard animal sentience in new legislation. However, following severe backlash — including petitions like this one at ForceChange and extensive social media campaigning — the environment secretary has promised to make “any necessary changes” to UK law to acknowledge that animals are sentient beings and capable of feeling pain. This is critical to ensuring that the rights and well-being of animals are protected when the UK withdraws from the European Union.

The Tory government voted to reject an amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill, put forward by Green MP Caroline Lucas, which would have protected animal welfare by recognizing that they have emotions and feelings. Such protections exist in EU law, but those laws will no longer apply in the UK when it separates from the EU. Environment Secretary Michael Gove responded to the widespread outrage by stating, “The prime minister has made clear that we will strengthen our animal welfare rules. This government will ensure that any necessary changes required to UK law are made in a rigorous and comprehensive way to ensure animal sentience is recognised after we leave the EU.” Sign below to support this commitment to defending the rights of animals and demand that this promise be honored.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Prime Minister May,

It is critical that UK law recognize animal sentience in order to protect animal welfare, and your pledge to commit to this is incredibly important. It is unacceptable for those protections to be left behind when the UK withdraws from the EU.

According to a written statement by the environment secretary, the government will ensure that legislation explicitly acknowledging that animals possess emotions and feelings will be prioritized and put in place, and that “any necessary changes required to UK law are made in a rigorous and comprehensive way.” I support this promise and urge you to ensure that it is kept.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Gillian Thomas


7 Comments

  1. Thank you kindly — sending blessings your way!

  2. KatWrangler WELCH says:

    THANK YOU, Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, for reversing the idiotic legislation previously passed.

    Thank you for doing the right thing.

  3. Nooshin Perla says:

    You got to be kidding !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You want to tell us that UK LAW did NOT know that animals feel pain. Are you kidding us??????????? GEE How STUPID ignorant some one can be. They need scientist to tell them that animals can feel pain, happiness and sadness. Cant they see when they look at these sweet hearts? Wow this is sad and scary.

  4. Rosslyn Osborne says:

    “Ye must not only have kind and merciful feelings for mankind, but ye should also exercise the utmost kindness towards every living creature.
    The physical sensibilities and instincts are common to animal and man.
    Man is, however, negligent of this reality and imagines that sensibility is peculiar to mankind, therefore he practices cruelty to the animal…..
    In reality what difference is there in physical sensations! Sensibility is the same whether you harm man or animal: there is no difference. Nay, rather, cruelty to the animal is more painful because man has a tongue and he sighs, complains and groans when he receives an injury and complains to the government and the government protects him from cruelty; but the poor animal cannot speak, it can neither show its suffering nor is it able to appeal to the government.
    If it is harmed a thousand times by man it is not able to defend itself in words nor can it seek justice or retaliate…..
    Therefore one must be very considerate towards animals and show greater kindness to them than to man…. Man is generally sinful and the animal is innocent; unquestionably one must be more kind and merciful to the innocent”. Baha’i Faith Writings

  5. Ginger Neimo says:

    Wow… such good news.

  6. E . Meeester says:

    of course animals do feel pain like people. Has that to be proofed? amazing

  7. Can I say f-ing duhhhhh?

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