Recognise animals as sentient, increase penalties, and count each harmed animal.

Background

Change UK law to recognise dogs/cats and all other animals as sentient, increase penalties for serious cruelty, and treat each harmed animal, alive or deceased, as a separate victim so sentences reflect the full scale of harm.

Additional details

UK law treats dogs as property and only counts survivors. The 2022 Sentience Act isn’t applied in criminal law. Each harmed cat/dog or animal, living or deceased, must be recognised as a separate victim, with stronger penalties, longer prison sentences, and mandatory bans on ownership to reflect the scale of harm, prevent future cruelty, ensure all victims are accounted for, align UK law with international standards for animal protection, stop large-scale abuse, and protect all companion animals