PROGRAMMES

The gap between how farmed animals are kept and their sentience and how they are portrayed to the public is stark.

Our Food Chain Misinformation report exposes how labelling, advertising and media coverage routinely mislead consumers about the realities of industrial farming – where 85% of UK farmed animals are raised – often in breach of existing consumer protection laws. We are exploring opportunities under the law to hold those responsible to account.

UPDATE

We have filed a formal complaint to the BBC arguing it aired a misleading statement about pig sentience during “The Future with Hannah Fry”. The presenter expressed doubt that pigs are “capable of human-like emotions, like being happy or sad” – directly at odds with the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022, which recognises their sentience in law. Under its Charter and editorial guidelines, the BBC is obliged to report with accuracy and to inform and educate the public – an obligation we believe it fell short of in this instance.

We have also continued our collaboration with presenter Kirsty Gallacher and comedian Diane Morgan to raise awareness about food chain misinformation – and we are delighted to see such prominent public figures championing this cause.

Good news! Our work is making headlines!

Food Manufacture Animal rights lawyers accuse BBC of misleading public

The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 recognises that decapod crustaceans are sentient and can feel pain, and the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015 require that avoidable pain be spared at the time of killing.

On this basis, we’ve argued that live boiling is an unlawful killing method in England — and in December 2025, the government agreed, confirming that the practice is unacceptable under existing law.

UPDATE

This morning, we sent a letter to the Welsh Government. The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (Wales) Regulations 2014 mirrors the English regulations, and we’re calling on Wales’s newly elected government to commit to enforcing it.

Good news! Our work is making headlines!

The Fishing Daily Campaigners Seek Welsh Recognition of Crustacean Welfare Law

Until July 2025, UK law prohibited carrying chickens upside down by their legs – a practice that causes suffering through breathing difficulties and broken bones. Yet government Codes of Practice permitted it, making cruel handling the industry standard.

When we challenged this contradiction, the government’s response was not to correct the Codes, but to quietly change the law itself, removing the prohibition with little scrutiny. We believe the consultation behind that decision was unlawful and successfully sought permission for a judicial review.

We put our full case before a judge in February 2026 and are now awaiting the judgment.

Good news! Our work is making headlines!

aviNews Labour Faces Pre-Slaughter Law Showdown in High Court

Twenty years on from the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and its Scottish equivalent the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, animals are still being failed by weak interpretation, poor enforcement, and in some cases outright exclusion from these protections.

Concepts like “unnecessary suffering” are too often interpreted in favour of tradition or commercial interest rather than the animals the law exists to protect.

The Animal Law Foundation together with the League Against Cruel Sports and 60 other signatories wrote to the Welsh, Scottish and UK governments to call for a reset.

UPDATE

The journal of the British Veterinary Association recently published an opinion piece by our Executive Director Edie Bowles, arguing that to meaningfully improve animals’ lives, the law must be properly applied.

Read the opinion piece:

VetRecord Journal – British Veterinary Association Putting animals back into the Animal Welfare Act (open access until 15 July)

NEWS

Parliament to Debate Cat Road Accident Reporting Law

A petition calling on drivers to be legally required to stop and report accidents involving cats has passed 113,000 signatures, triggering a parliamentary debate. Under Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, drivers must report collisions with dogs, horses and farmed animals – but cats are excluded. With an estimated 230,000 cats struck by vehicles each year, campaigners are pushing to close this longstanding loophole and ensure injured animals receive timely help.

Welsh Councillor Handed Indefinite Animal Keeping Ban

David Wayne Erasmus, a Welsh councillor and former Senedd candidate, has been given an indefinite ban on keeping animals after pleading guilty to three offences under the Animal Welfare Act (2006). Swansea Council’s investigation found 27 goats and pigs being kept in windowless shipping containers filled with waste, urine and rotting food, with several pigs dying within days of being rescued.

UK government drops manifesto pledge to ban foie gras imports

The UK government has dropped its manifesto pledge to ban foie gras imports, in order to secure a new EU trade deal expected to be finalised on 22 July. Ministers say EU rules prevent banning trade in products on welfare grounds. Foie gras production has been banned domestically in the UK since 2007, but imports remain legal.

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