Make a public animal abuser register & automatically ban ownership
245,469 people signed this petition to the UK Parliament after it opened on 12 March 2026; it closed on 12 September 2026. The Government responded on 19 May 2026. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 29 June 2026.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Make a public animal abuser register & automatically ban ownership
Create a public register of all offenders convicted of animal abuse and introduce an automatic, lifetime ban on animal ownership for anyone convicted of animal neglect or abuse. This register should be searchable by vets, breeders, charities and the public to prevent repeat offending.
I clean homes for free for people in need and regularly witness animals suffering under owners with a history for animal neglect or abuse. Currently, bans are discretionary and there is no public register. Abusers can continue acquiring animals. A mandatory ban and register could prevent repeat cruelty and break cycles of harm. Additionally, an immediate automatic lifetime ban could prevent animal ownership being at a judge’s discretion.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 19 May 2026; the petitions site lists the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as responsible. Its summary:
The government has no plans to introduce an animal abuse register, or an automatic lifetime ban for animal abusers because we already have similar provisions in place.
The response in full:
The government does not think it would be appropriate to introduce a publicly accessible animal cruelty register. The majority of the population comply with our high animal welfare laws. In the upsetting and unacceptable instances where these laws are violated or repeatedly violated, we already have these offences recorded.
All prosecutions for animal cruelty offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 are currently stored on the Police National Computer. This information may be shared with appropriate organisations. In cases of concern, the information may be shared with the public when requested, at the Police’s discretion.
It is important that access to this information is restricted, to protect the information from misuse while ensuring it is available for organisations with a justified need to access the information. This is consistent with the government’s approach to the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme and Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme.
The government does not think it is appropriate to introduce an automatic lifetime ban for animal abusers. Post conviction sentencing powers under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 already include disqualification orders, which can include a lifetime ban, which prevent individuals convicted of animal cruelty from owning, keeping, or participating in the care of animals. Where police or local authorities have concerns that a person subject to a disqualification order may be breaching it, they are able to carry out checks and take appropriate enforcement action.
While we note the frustration that disqualification orders are discretionary, it is important that justice is reviewed on a case-by-case basis to remain fair. This is the responsibility of our independent courts and judiciary. The Sentencing Council provides guidelines to support these decisions.
The government does recognise that there is a disparity in the law between penalties for cruelty to wildlife and similar incidents that involve pet or companion animals and livestock abuse offences. To address this, in the government’s Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December 2025, we committed to review and look to strengthen penalties for cruelty against wildlife so that they are consistent with the higher levels of sentencing available for animal welfare offences against pets and livestock.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies. Measured against each constituency's electorate at the 2024 general election, the most came from Cities of London and Westminster, with 27.7 signatures per 1,000 electors (2,030 in all).
238,923 of the signatures were from the UK and 6,546 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures | Electorate, July 2024 | Per 1,000 electors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cities of London and Westminster | 2,030 | 73,369 | 27.7 |
| Manchester Central | 825 | 85,204 | 9.7 |
| Brighton Pavilion | 718 | 74,786 | 9.6 |
| Liverpool Riverside | 609 | 71,380 | 8.5 |
| Bristol Central | 530 | 62,735 | 8.4 |
| Edinburgh East and Musselburgh | 623 | 76,188 | 8.2 |
| Edinburgh North and Leith | 633 | 78,411 | 8.1 |
| Plymouth Sutton and Devonport | 603 | 75,313 | 8.0 |
| Sheffield Central | 482 | 60,594 | 8.0 |
| Hove and Portslade | 575 | 74,063 | 7.8 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 37,002 |
| London | 27,615 |
| North West | 25,446 |
| East of England | 23,617 |
| South West | 23,247 |
| Scotland | 19,803 |
| West Midlands | 18,513 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 18,212 |
| East Midlands | 17,407 |
| Wales | 11,525 |
| North East | 8,901 |
| Northern Ireland | 4,094 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 29 June 2026. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/759783.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
5c4a4bb2c207f81d… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.