This petition was submitted during the 2019 to 2024 Parliament
Rejected petition Animal cruelty charges to owners who don’t care for animals during hot weather.
Rejected on
Charge individuals with animal cruelty or fines for not caring for animals during hot weather. For example if people are walking dogs during peak summer during the day, not leaving water available at all times for pets, leaving animals in cars during hot weather.
Why was this petition rejected?
We can't publish petitions when the request is something that's already happening or something that has been announced since you started your petition.
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We understand you're concerned about the welfare of dogs in hot weather, however the Animal Welfare Act 2006 already makes it an offence if a person causes, by act or omission, an animal to suffer. This would cover suffering caused by not properly caring for an animal in excessive heat.
The Government's code of practice for the welfare of dogs, which provides owners and keepers with information on how to meet the welfare needs of their animals, and can be used in courts as evidence in cases brought before them relating to poor welfare, specifically highlights the risks of heat stress: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/697953/pb13333-cop-dogs-091204.pdf
Decisions about investigating and prosecuting alleged animal welfare crimes are a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service, not the Government or Parliament.
If you think that a crime has been committed, you should contact the police here: https://www.police.uk/contact/
If you're concerned about a specific incident, you may wish to report it directly to the RSPCA: https://www.rspca.org.uk/utilities/contactus/reportcruelty
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.