Animal Abuse versus Child Abuse

When it comes to protection and welfare legislation it could be argued that we have a bias towards amending and introducing legislation against animal abuse over child abuse.

Are we prioritising the protection of animals over that of children?

It could be argued that our present society has a bias towards amending and introducing legislation protecting animals at the expense of children. Some might feel that we expend too much time, debate and attention on animals and their welfare at the expense of children even though child abuse is widespread.

Not a day goes by in Parliament and the House of Lords without animal welfare and protection issues being debated and new laws being discussed or implemented, particularly for our beloved dogs. It seems rare for any updating of child protection legislation or concerted efforts to protect them even though they are no more able to defend themselves or escape abuse than kept animals.

One correspondent once wrote to a U.K national newspaper about the perceived hatred of children and the insane obsession with dogs and pets thus:

As for the the much-repeated claim that the British are the most tolerant nation on earth, I find tolerance very selective. Anyone who dares to maintain that dogs are dangerous and that pet-keeping is anti-social, while children are lovely and far more important, discovers rapidly just how tolerant the British really are.

Daily Mail Letters page.

What chance the welfare of animals when we cannot adequately protect our children from abuse.

The recent shocking incident in Eastbourne where seven children aged between four and seventeen and 36 dogs were found in one house severely neglected and maltreated by a couple should be a wakeup call. The incident was a double whammy involving both types of abuse coinciding in one residence.

The offenders in the case received six-year sentences for child cruelty and eighteen weeks for animal cruelty. The mother received a five-year ban and the father an indefinite ban on keeping animals, but no ban on keeping children as this is of course unthinkable. It will take a lifetime to heal the long-term physical and mental harm inflicted on the children which will take years to rehabilitate them.

child and animal abuse poster
Do we give them equal protection?

Children and babies are no more able to defend themselves or escape abuse than kept animals.

Although we ban people from owning animals when it is considered they are incapable of looking after them or a risk to them, we remove pets from feckless owners who mistreat them and we issue warning and penalty notices we cannot contemplate giving children the same help.

There are many parallels to be made in regard to how we legislate and enforce protection of animals and children. The RSPCA takes the burden of enforcing and prosecuting animal cases even though they have no statutory powers, for which they are often maligned for being too aggressive.

Yet the NSPCC and social services who do have powers to intervene and prosecute seem unable or unwilling to take a stringent approach when death, neglect and cruelty to a child is involved. They rely on the overburdened and cash strapped Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Prosecutions are dropping and social services are inundated and unable to cope in many parts of the country. This state of affairs has continued for decades

Child abuse and murder rampant in the U.K.

On average seven children a month are murdered in the U.K. Between 2015/16 and 2019/20 there was an average 82 child homicides a year in the UK mostly by filicide – the killing of a son or daughter by the parents, with babies under one year old having the highest rate. 55,000 at risk children were on a Child Protection plan and 55,000 were being looked after by local authorities.

When it comes to neglect the figures are even more depressing. Between 2019 and 2020 there were over 23,000 recorded offences. Neglect is defined by not meeting a child’s basic physical and psychological needs which can have serious and long-lasting impacts on a child’s life causing serious harm and even death.  In 2020 The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel received notification of 482 serious incidents relating to 514 children. Of these notifications, 206 were in relation to child deaths and 56 were attributable to abuse or maltreatment.

In the year ending 31 March 2020 there were 3,347 child death reviews in England. 862 cases were identified as having modifiable factors which may have contributed to the death of the child, and which might or could have been avoided such as the family environment, parenting capacity and service provision.

It is right that we have so many animal protection laws, but we should also be spending more time, money and resources to protect our children with more extensive and harsh laws that are policed adequately, because we appear to be severely letting them down at the moment. The incident mentioned above highlights the fact that we haven’t really moved on since Victorian times. What chance the welfare of animals when we cannot adequately protect our children from abuse.

A Guide to Reporting Animal Cruelty in the UK

All the essential contact details and advice you need for reporting animal cruelty in the UK.

There are many agencies for reporting animal cruelty in the UK who unlike the RSPCA actually have legal powers to investigate, prosecute and intervene in matters of animal abuse. These include the Police, local authorities and DEFRA.

Most people mistakenly believe that the RSPCA in England or SSPCA in Scotland are the only agency legally responsible for investigating and prosecuting animal abuse. There is considerable confusion over what powers the RSPCA have. They have in fact none, but they have still become the default agency to go to as all the other agencies lack the time, inclination or the funds to do the job.

The U.K., Scotland and Northern Ireland all have different laws and procedures and within each country there are various authorities tasked with dealing with certain issues. Most of the confusion in the UK was caused when the government in its wisdom introduced the all-encompassing new Animal Welfare Act 2006, but failed to appoint anyone to officially enforce it.

Reporting animal cruelty in the UK
It is important to report animal cruelty whenever you come across it. Don’t leave it to someone else.

Who do you call?

Reporting animal cruelty in England& Wales

The Police, local authorities and the Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), can all investigate and prosecute animal abuse dependent on the type of animal involved, but not necessarily a statutory duty to do so.

For farm animals, transport of livestock, slaughterhouses, etc contact:

DEFRA 03000 200 301 or 020 7238 6951 (England) 0300 303 8268 (Wales)

For all animals including wildlife crime:

Police on 101 or 999 if urgent. See also wildlife crime later in article.

OR

RSPCA 0300 1234 999

Depending on the circumstances an RSPCA Inspector might:

  • persuade or educate the person responsible for the animal to look after the animal properly
  • give them a care notice – stating what the person is failing to do and giving them a period of time to take action to improve the animal’s welfare. If they don’t follow a care notice properly owners run the risk of being charged with an offence and prosecuted.
  • start criminal prosecution proceedings by reporting the case to the the RSPCA legal department who will decide whether to take a private prosecution under section 6(1) of the Prosecution of Offences Act (POA) 1985.

The English government increased the penalties for animal cruelty in June 2021 to bring them more in line with Scotland and Northern Ireland. The maximum penalty is now 5 years imprisonment and/or £5,000 fine.

For pet shops, riding stables, zoos, animals in entertainment and companion animals:

Your local Council animal welfare inspector or environmental health department.

NOTE: If you contact a Police call centre they will usually automatically refer you to the RSPCA because in practice the English police generally feel they have no statutory duty (not forced by any law) to investigate. You can insist they take action if it is an emergency, but it can be hard work.

Scotland

Animal cruelty and welfare laws are enforced by the Police and Local Authority animal welfare inspectors and SSPCA Inspectors. The SSPCA are designated as a ‘Specialist Reporting Agency’, with similar powers to the police unlike in England. They report the facts of a case of cruelty to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (the equivalent of the Crown Prosecution Service in England) who decide whether the evidence warrants a prosecution and is in the ‘public interest’.

Scottish SPCA 03000 999 999

OR

Local Authority Animal Welfare Department

OR

Police Tel: 101

Depending on the circumstances of the case an inspector might:

  • persuade or educate the person responsible for the animal to look after the animal properly
  • give them a care notice – stating what the person is failing to do and giving them a period of time to take action to improve the animal’s welfare. If they don’t follow a care notice properly they’re likely to be charged with an offence and prosecuted.
  • start criminal prosecution proceedings by reporting the case to the Procurator Fiscal

Penalties that can be imposed on offenders:

Serious neglect or cruelty, animal fighting or serious crimes to wildlife: up to 5 years imprisonment and unlimited fines.

Other penalties include fixed notice fines for failing in owner’s duty of care or abandonment and other less serious crimes.

The judge can also impose a Deprivation Order which removes the animal from the owners’ care or a Disqualification Order which stops the owner from owning or working  with animals for a specific period. They may also be added to an animal cruelty data base.


Northern Ireland

Local Authority Animal Welfare officers under the Welfare of Animals (Northern Ireland) Act 2011 are responsible for investigation cruelty to companion animals. They work on a regional basis and basically work office hours with an out of hours contact number.

Report cruelty to companion animals

  • Belfast City Council 028-90270431
  • Eastern Region 028 90494567
  • Northern Region    028 25633134
  • Southern Region    028 37515800
  • Western Area    028 82256226

For welfare of Farm Animals & Pet Shops

Department of Agriculture (DARD) 0300 200 7840 office hours. Out of hours police or local vet.

Wildlife crime.

Police Tel: 101 or 999 in an emergency

The USPCA does not get involved in prosecutions but campaigns against major issues like puppy farming, dog fighting and tame deer hunts.

USPCA 028 3025 1000

reporting animal cruelty in the UK

More on Wildlife Crime

There are no other charities which take regular prosecutions under animal welfare and protection laws, but it is worth reporting incidents of wildlife crime to these:

The League against Cruel Sports

The charity has a useful online and telephone contact to help you report wildlife cruelty such as illegal hunting anonymously.

Animal Crimewatch 01483361108 or online Animal Crimewatch Report

Royal Society for Protection of birds (RSPB)

Wild Birds and the Law | Reporting Crimes Against Wild Birds – The RSPB. Use the online reporting form or call Investigations on 01767 680551 (England, Wales, NI) or 0131 3174100 (Scotland), or email crime@rspb.org.uk.


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