Login(Tackling) Animal Harm
May 2025 : CTSI's report - (Tackling) Animal Harm - warns that animals are being left in a state of neglect and cruelty due to a lack of funding, delays in the court process, and the high costs incurred as cases take too long to be heard.
Voiceless Victims
Trading Standards Officers work tirelessly to rescue domestic and farm animals suffering from neglect, cruelty, and poor living conditions. However, the profession is increasingly concerned about its capacity to take neglected animals into care due to escalating costs, gaps in current legislation, and significant delays in the court system.
Reports from Trading Standards reveal harrowing conditions, with dogs frequently found in severely malnourished states, confined to cramped kennels filled with faeces and urine, while cows and pigs have been left to survive in pens alongside decaying carcasses. Cases of animal cruelty have risen significantly in recent years, highlighting the urgency of addressing these systemic issues.
Beyond the suffering of animals, these challenges also pose broader public health risks. Poor living conditions in neglected settings are a breeding ground for disease, which can have significant implications for human health if diseased animals are not promptly taken into possession for treatment or humane destruction when necessary. Strengthening enforcement measures and addressing legislative and systemic barriers are essential to mitigate these risks and protect animal welfare.
Caged by Bureaucracy : The Challenges Faced by Trading Standards
Under Section 18 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, local authorities can take animals into their possession to prevent suffering, illness, or disease spread, with Section 20 enabling courts to order their treatment, rehoming, or disposal.
These cases can be extremely costly, often exceeding £100,000, with some surpassing £1.5 million. Court delays further inflate expenses, prolonging gaps between Sections 18 and 20 without guaranteeing reduced suffering. CTSI estimates such cases could cost local authorities tens of millions annually, forcing Trading Standards to prioritise actions carefully within tight budgets.
Our 'Animal Harm' Survey
CTSI conducted a survey of Trading Standards Officers - working in Local Authorities, all around the country - and found that :
- 84% of respondents claimed that Cost is the most significant barrier to enforcement action.
- 39.4% of respondents said that Lengthy Court Processes pose the next substantial barrier to enforcement action. With severe delays in the court process resulting in substantial costs to Local Authorities.
Presently, effective animal welfare is being compromised because Trading Standards enforcement ability is being significantly hampered. The main challenges include:
- Court Delays: The excessively long waiting times for cases to be heard in court.
- Funding: The lack of Local Authority funding to pay for all of this.
- Rescue Delays: The length of time to take animals into possession from perpetrators of cruelty.
- Temporary Housing: Issues involved in finding suitable alternative places to house animals.
These barriers and lack of necessary resources are causing a reluctance among local authorities to take on animal welfare cases, and CTSI believes this means animals are being knowingly and unwittingly left to suffer in appalling conditions.
CTSI : Animal welfare costs cash-strapped Local Authorities as much as £60M a year. Cuts and court delays cause untold suffering.
What is CTSI calling for?
Update Animal Welfare Legislation: We want an update to animal welfare legislation, including a review of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to ensure it is fit for purpose and animal welfare is protected, including the introduction of pre-conviction sanctions and an interim disqualification where animals are taken into possession.- Speed-Up Court Cases: Amendment to be made to the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 to place a duty on the courts to hear an initial Section 20 (S20) hearing within a maximum of 182 days.
- 4 Nation-Level Funding: Devolved Governments - rather than Local Authorities - to fund more complex animal welfare cases where animals are taken into possession.
United support across nations and parties
Our calls have received cross-party and cross-nation support, with backing from (left to right): Gill Furniss MP (Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, England), Maurice Golden MSP (North East Scotland), Carolyn Thomas MS (North Wales), Peredur Owen Griffiths MS (South Wales East), and Marisa Heath, Director of the All-Party Group for Animal Welfare (APGAW). Their support from across England, Scotland and Wales highlights the broad political and geographical consensus behind the proposed changes and the urgency of action.
And what can YOU do?
To force legislative change, we need legislators to put pressure on the Government to act. With an election looming, writing to your local representative to highlight these issues and showing that it is an issue their constituents care about could make a world of difference. Your voice matters.
To find out who your local representatives are - and get their up-to-date contact details - the excellent Write to Them service should be able to help:
Click here to find your MP's contact details
