Target: Emma Reynolds, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, United Kingdom
Goal: Toughen enforcement and penalties against animal abandonment and cruelty amid surge in cases, including kittens reportedly tied to a fence and left to die.
Abandonment reports have jumped by 8.1% this year in one UK county alone, and frontline officers fear a “grim winter” for pets. According to the RSPCA, 161 abandonment incidents were raised by October, including the shocking discovery of two very young kittens reportedly tied to a fence with twine. One kitten was found dead and the other so badly injured a vet reportedly deemed euthanasia the kindest option. Nationally, the charity says an abandonment incident has been reported to its emergency line roughly every nine minutes, underscoring an apparent crisis of neglect.
Investigators describe widespread dumping and desertion of animals, with surviving victims in need of urgent veterinary care. The RSPCA says these trends are rising year-on-year while resources remain strained, which leaves councils, police and rescue partners struggling to respond as winter pressures bite. Officers also highlight cases where animals are discovered without food, water or shelter, and where very young or sick animals are left in ways that make survival unlikely.
The Animal Welfare Act 2006 already criminalises causing unnecessary suffering and failing to meet basic needs, yet repeat incidents persist. A clear message is needed. This petition urges the UK Government to direct immediate resources for enforcement, create fast-track investigations for abandonment, and champion sentencing that reflects the gravity of these offences. It further calls for central funding to support councils and approved rescues with cost-of-care orders, mandatory offender education, and lifetime animal-ownership bans in the worst cases.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Secretary of State Reynolds,
We respectfully urge your department to act decisively in response to the surge in animal abandonment and cruelty. In one county, abandonment incidents rose by 8.1% in the first ten months of the year. Among the most disturbing recent reports was that of two very young kittens allegedly tied to a fence, where one was found dead and the other was apparently so severely injured that euthanasia was deemed necessary. National figures cited by the RSPCA indicate an abandonment report to its emergency line roughly every nine minutes, highlighting a broader crisis.
Given these reports, we ask you to bolster enforcement capacity and deliver guidance that prioritises rapid investigation of abandonment, including strong use of existing cost-of-care provisions so seized animals receive timely treatment without exhausting rescue resources. We also ask that you advocate for sentencing and ancillary orders that fit the seriousness of the conduct, including lifetime animal-ownership bans in egregious cases, mandatory offender education, and robust community-order conditions that address underlying risk.
Finally, we urge DEFRA to coordinate with policing bodies, local authorities and approved rescues to streamline reporting, evidence-gathering and prosecution pathways so offenders face swift, appropriate consequences. Clear national leadership can deter further harm and help ensure that those who desert, injure or neglect animals are held fully accountable.
Sincerely,
Your Name Here
Photo credit: RSPCA
