The Animal Welfare Act 2006 was created to protect animals from a whole host of maltreatment, one of those protections being from unnecessary suffering. Yet over time, its strength has been diluted.

The new rules may provide a clearer legal route to challenge misleading images or claim on animal welfare

When it comes to displays of animal farming the public is predominantly shown happy and healthy animals, not only are they false, but they also affect the decisions made by consumers.

The law states that pigs can only have tails docked as a last resort after environmental improvements have been made and only when authorised by a vet, but data reveals that this painful procedure is happening on over 80% of pigs in the UK.

Is ‘I’m a Celebrity’ universally beloved? There seems to be a seedy underbelly growing Down Under, with the public expressing increasing concerns over the TV show’s treatment and depiction of animals. 

Farmed animals are protected by several laws across the UK; however, the enforcement of those laws is called into question with the data revealing a system wide problem.

Dog fighting has been illegal in the UK since 1835, and is currently banned under the ‘Animal Welfare Act 2006’. Despite this, dog fighting continues today throughout the UK, due to serious issues regarding the enforcement of the Act. 

Do they have Common Sentience or are they In Hot Water?

Local authorities have the power to create positive changes towards animal welfare where poor welfare practices still exist on a nationwide level.

Fox hunting has been illegal in the UK for almost 20 years. It was banned under the ‘Hunting Act 2004’. Despite its illegal status, fox hunting remains widespread due to significant loopholes in existing legislation. 

In the realm of animal welfare, our responsibility to safeguard the dignity and well-being of all creatures is paramount. Yet, one distressing reality persists: the illegal and inhumane practice of handling chickens by their legs.

Scotland, renowned as the world's third-largest salmon producer, is responsible for harvesting approximately 37.7 million salmon annually across 200 farms. However, this number does not take into account all of the salmon that die prematurely before completing the production process. Despite these huge numbers, unlike other farmed animals, there is no official guidance for farmed fish. 

We are urging the UK Government to stop what we argue are unlawful killing practices of decapod crustaceans.

At The Animal Law Foundation we work to establish principles that protect animals under the law. In Pride Month, we want to take a moment to reflect on five legal victories the LGBTQ community and those lawyers working on behalf of them have had in the courts in the UK and beyond.

Our series of case studies will explore why The Animal Law Foundation is so desperately needed.

Intro

At Animal Equality UK we primarily work in defence of farmed animals and we’re most known for our undercover investigations inside factory farms and slaughterhouses.

It’s in large part thanks to these investigations that I’ve come to know Edie very well over recent years.

The Animal Law Foundation is a legal research charity that looks into neglected and impactful areas of animal law across the UK. Where we consider it necessary and appropriate we will instruct lawyers to bring legal challenges to the relevant regulatory and government bodies, to ensure any legislative and regulatory systems in place to protect animals are functioning as they should.

The role the use of law and lawyers have played in social change is widely known, from Gandhi and Mandela leading civil rights movements in India and South Africa through to sitting judges deciding in favour of huge social change, such as …