Skip to main content

Rejected petition: Protect Our Cats: Law Reform to Prosecute Drivers Who Kill Pets

Rejected on

am calling on the Government and Parliament to introduce legislation that makes it a criminal offence to intentionally or negligently strike a domestic cat with a vehicle and fail to stop, report, or seek veterinary assistance.

“Cats are legally recognised as sentient beings and family pets, yet there is currently little accountability when they are injured or killed on the road. This lack of protection allows avoidable suffering, emotional trauma to owners, and irresponsible driving to go unpunished. A clear law would create a duty of care, require drivers to stop and report incidents, and ensure that reckless or deliberate harm is properly investigated and prosecuted. Such legislation would improve animal welfare and road safety, and recognise that cats deserve the same legal respect and protection as other companion animals.


Why was this petition rejected?

There’s already a petition about this issue. We cannot accept a new petition when we already have one about a very similar issue.

You are more likely to get action on this issue if you sign and share a single petition.

You may wish to sign the following petitions, which call for similar action:

Legislate to require drivers to report collisions with cats
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/750612

Legally require drivers who hit a cat to take them to a vet
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/751525

We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.