The Cost of Animal Harm: Urgent Action Needed to Protect Welfare and Improve Enforcement

Posted 01/05/25

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) is calling on the UK Government to urgently reform animal welfare legislation amid a growing crisis that is placing thousands of animals at risk of prolonged suffering. With local authorities overwhelmed by spiralling costs, court backlogs, and outdated powers, the current system is failing to protect animals from cruelty and neglect.

A new CTSI survey, published in the CTSI “(Tackling) Animal Harm” paper, released on 1^st May, reveals that 84% of local authorities cite cost as the primary barrier to action, with several cases costing councils over £100,000 per case – and in one extreme instance, more than £1.5 million. Delays in securing court orders to rehome or treat animals means that they can be in temporary accommodation for months or years. For some companion animals this significantly limits their interaction and socialisation with other animals

Under the current legislation individuals are not prevented from acquiring more animals while their case is pending in court – further exacerbating harm and undermining public confidence in the system.

Farmed animal welfare is also under growing pressure. Since 2022, sharp rises in the cost of feed, fertiliser, and fuel – driven by global conflict, inflation, and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis – have left many farmers struggling to maintain acceptable standards of care. This economic storm, combined with changes to subsidy support, has led to an increase in animal welfare breaches requiring Trading Standards intervention.

In its policy report, which has received cross-party backing, CTSI calls for urgent reforms and offers solutions to this outdated regime, including:

• Revising the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to introduce interim disqualification orders, allow voluntary surrender of animals, and set mandatory timeframes for court hearings.

• Providing Funding for Complex Cases to help local authorities cover the costs of care and legal action when animals are taken into possession.

• Mirroring Scottish Legislation by allowing the transfer of animal ownership without lengthy court hearings, reducing delays and associated costs.

• Reassessing Farm Subsidies to ensure small and medium-sized livestock farmers can maintain welfare standards amidst rising costs.

• Introducing Independent Valuations of seized animals to prevent disputes and potential litigation.

CTSI warns that without immediate and decisive reforms, animals will remain trapped in a system woefully unfit to meet the demands and expectations of the twenty-first century, making the animal welfare framework unfit for purpose.

Stephanie Young, CTSI Lead Officer for Animal Health, said: “The current animal welfare system is at breaking point. Enforcement is hindered by spiralling costs and court delays, leaving vulnerable animals without the protection they need. Legislative reform is urgently needed to address these challenges, ensuring robust protections are in place to prevent further harm. Having witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of court delays and the spiralling costs of enforcement, I cannot overstate the urgency of reform. Animals are being left in prolonged states of suffering because cases are taking years to process. Local authorities are overwhelmed, and the financial barriers are becoming insurmountable. Without immediate changes, we will continue to see these tragedies unfold.”

Maurice Golden MSP, Member of the Scottish Parliament for North East Scotland (Region), and Deputy Convener of the Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Animal Welfare, said: “I welcome this report as an important step in helping strengthen animal welfare legislation and enforcement. Not only identifying where existing legislation needs to be strengthened but also shining a light on how insufficient resources are creating extra costs for local government whilst risking increased animal suffering. The public is rightly concerned with ensuring the highest levels of animal welfare, and this paper offers policy makers an insight into where best to act.”

Gill Furniss MP, Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Consumer Protection, said: “I strongly support the calls made within CTSI's (Tackling) Animal Harm paper. It clearly identifies the critical issues undermining effective animal welfare enforcement, particularly highlighting how delays in court proceedings are enabling enforcement costs to escalate significantly, placing further strain on already overstretched local authorities.

“It’s known that the vast majority of farmers and animal keepers in the UK maintain the highest standards of care and responsibility to their animals. Yet, there remains a small minority whose neglect, or cruelty, disproportionately burdens local authorities, exacerbated by lengthy court delays which allow costs to spiral. Additionally, current financial support mechanisms for farmers, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, are inadequate, contributing to an environment where animal welfare can unintentionally become compromised.

“Understanding this, I fully endorse CTSI’s recommendations for legislative reform, improved financial assistance for enforcement action, and a review of existing support for the farming community to safeguard animal welfare, support farmers effectively, and ensure the sustainability and integrity of animal welfare enforcement across the UK.”

Peredur Owen Griffiths MS, Member of the Senedd for the South Wales East, noted: “Comprehensive and urgent reform of animal welfare legislation is needed to address the prolonged suffering inflicted upon animals as a result of significant delays within the judicial system and critically under-resourced enforcement mechanisms. We commend the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) for bringing forward this important report and for highlighting longstanding concerns that have yet to be adequately addressed. Crucially, the financial burden borne by Local Authorities has reached unsustainable levels. Costs associated with taking animals into possession routinely exceed £100,000. Prolonged court processes exacerbate these costs, often rendering enforcement actions financially prohibitive. Wales has historically led the way in advancing animal welfare policy, but the scale and complexity of the challenges now necessitate a coordinated and well-resourced approach across all administrations. Reforms can ensure that every animal receives the care, protection, and dignity they deserve, and that the rule of law in animal welfare is not undermined by procedural and fiscal inertia”

Carolyn Thomas, Member of the Senedd for North Wales and Chair, Cross Party Group for Animal Welfare, said: "Urgent reform is essential if we are to protect our animals from the prolonged suffering caused by court delays and inadequate enforcement resources.  I am grateful to CTSI for bringing this paper forward and for highlighting concerns that have been raised for many years. This legislation requires a comprehensive update to reflect the evolving needs of our society and to ensure robust protection for our animals.  Court delays, although not a devolved responsibility, are causing significant challenges for devolved areas, undermining our priorities to safeguard animal welfare. The ramifications of these issues have a serious impact to rescue centres, local authorities, public trust and increased costs to all organisations involved.  Wales has led the way in many areas, but we now need a combined approach to modernise our outdated laws, empowering our local authorities with pre-conviction measures and improved funding to prevent abuse and ensure every animal receives the care it deserves."

Marisa Heath, Director of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Animal Welfare, also said: “APGAW welcomes this new report which concisely outlines some ways forward to improve animal welfare enforcement from the experts who are out dealing with the issues daily. APGAW has also called for a review of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in its report on enforcement and we are pleased to see that the CTSI, with its wide expertise, believes that such a review could help us improve the enforcement processes considerably.  As it stands, animal welfare cases are costing local authorities significant sums and often posing a great threat to our biosecurity which impacts everyone. With a better enforcement process that can both use preventative tools, and a more efficient system, we can reduce the number of cases and deliver better outcomes for animal welfare and relating public health.  We look forward to working with CTSI and Government to act.”

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