Article 13 of the Lisbon Treaty currently recognises animals as sentient beings. This is to say that UK law recognises that animals are aware of their feelings and emotions. However, due to current political climate, animals are at risk of losing these protections after October 31st. If this was to happen, it would be a big hit against animal welfare.

It's times like this that we need to fight harder. Starting on Valentine's Day this year, we stood shoulder to shoulder with other animal protection and environmental organisations such as Wildlife & Countryside LINK, Humane Society International UK, and Animal Equality UK. 

We did this to ask MP's and the British public to 'show some love for animals'  by signing the government petition. Through this, we urged MP's to support a law that creates a duty for all Ministers in the UK to fully regard animal welfare in policy making. Once the petition reaches 100,000 signatures, we can ensure a debate in parliament. 

This debate was originally planned for Monday 9th September, but has now been postponed until November (true at time of writing 25/10/2019, but subject to change). However, it was great to hear from Zac Goldsmith MP, Minister of Animal Welfare, that he will do everything he can to get this bill through as soon as there is an opportunity to do so.

We will keep you updated on news regarding the sentience bill and the upcoming debate in parliament, which is likely to be around November. In the meantime, we would like to say a huge THANK YOU to everybody who signed the petition calling for animal sentience to be recognised under UK law. We will keep working to push this through.

Our voices together are already making a difference, but we need to keep up the pressure to make sure the government prioritises a new law to stop animals becoming victims after Brexit.

Keep an eye on our social media channels for any updates on how you can help!