Rejected petition Make it a criminal offence to fail to stop after hitting a domestic pet

We ask the UK Government to make it a criminal offence for drivers to fail to stop and report after hitting a domestic pet, including cats. This should include clear legal duties and penalties to ensure accountability, improve animal welfare, and give owners answers.

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We recently lost our 19-year-old cat, Shystie, after he was hit on the road. He was in perfect health, stayed close to home, and was a much-loved family member. There is currently no clear legal duty for drivers to stop and report when they hit a domestic pet like a cat. We believe this should be required by law, with penalties for failing to do so, to give animals a chance of help and provide owners with answers and accountability.

This petition was rejected

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 this petition, which calls for similar action: "Legislate to require drivers to report collisions with cats" https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/750612

There are existing rules about reporting collisions with dogs and some other animals: "Report a dead or injured animal" https://www.gov.uk/report-dead-animal

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

Date submitted 30 March 2026
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