More than 228,000 people have forced Parliament to debate the creation of a public animal abuse register and automatic lifetime bans for offenders – a proposal the government has repeatedly rejected.
The petition, launched by Bea Elton, will be debated on June 29. Elton, who cleans homes for people in need, told Parliament's website she regularly witnesses animals “suffering under owners with a history for animal neglect or abuse”.
“Parliament to debate public animal abuse register after 228,000 sign petition; government says no plans exist.”
“Currently, bans are discretionary and there is no public register,” she wrote. “Abusers can continue acquiring animals. A mandatory ban and register could prevent repeat cruelty and break cycles of harm.”
The petition calls for a register searchable by vets, breeders, charities and the public, alongside an automatic lifetime ban on ownership for anyone convicted of neglect or abuse. Elton argued an automatic ban would stop animal ownership being “at a judge’s discretion”.
After the petition passed 10,000 signatures, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs responded on May 19. DEFRA said there were “no plans” to introduce a publicly accessible register or an automatic lifetime ban “because we already have similar provisions in place”.
In a full response, DEFRA explained that all prosecutions under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 are stored on the Police National Computer. The information “may be shared with appropriate organisations” and, at police discretion, with the public in cases of concern. The department argued it was “important that access to this information is restricted, to protect the information from misuse”.
Despite the government’s position, the petition’s 228,795 signatures crossed the threshold for a parliamentary debate, which is now scheduled for June 29.
The debate will force MPs to weigh Elton’s evidence against DEFRA’s argument that existing provisions are sufficient – and decide whether the law needs to change.