Petition Introduce prison sentences for deliberate cruelty to wild birds including pigeon

Pigeons, like all wild birds, are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it an offence to kill or injure them, including with the use of a catapult.

Significant sanctions are already available for judges to hand down to those convicted of wildlife crimes. Anyone who commits an offence under existing legislation, such as the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, could face up to a six-month custodial sentence and/or an unlimited fine.

Sentencing of those convicted of wildlife crimes remains a matter for judges, and these decisions are rightly taken independently of government.

It is also an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to cause an animal any unnecessary suffering. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 increased the sentences available to our courts for the most serious cases of animal cruelty to pets, livestock and wild animals under human control by increasing the maximum penalty for this offence to five years’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

In the government’s Animal Welfare Strategy published in December 2025, a commitment was made to review and look to strengthen penalties for cruelty against wildlife more generally so that a disparity is addressed and they are consistent with the higher levels of sentencing available for animal welfare offences against pets and livestock.

Wildlife crime is unacceptable. Defra supports the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), which helps prevent and detect wildlife crime (including crimes involving misuse of catapults) by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis which highlights local or national threats and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations. Defra is providing £494,000 for NWCU in the financial year 2025-2026.

The NWCU attended the first of a new series of “Operation Lakeshot” meetings in January 2026. Operation Lakeshot is a working group which meets quarterly to bring together police and charities to raise awareness of the problem of wildlife crimes being carried out with catapults and will be working with partner agencies to prevent people from engaging in this crime and to support law enforcement.

The government recognises that misuse of catapults is causing great concern to some local communities whether the targets are wild or domestic animals, other people, or property. The government is clear that catapults should not be used against wildlife, property or people and is, for example, convening a roundtable to understand the problem better and to identify what more can be done.

It should be noted that certain birds, including pigeons, may be killed by an authorised person in certain licensed circumstances (such as to prevent serious damage or to preserve public health and safety) but this should not involve the use of catapults.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs