Rejected petition: Reform Civil Law to recognise companion animals as more than just property
Rejected on
To modernise civil law so that companion animals -who are widely regarded as family- are no longer treated solely as property in civil claims, and to allow courts to award damages for emotional distress when a pet is harmed or killed due to negligence or wrongdoing.
Under current UK civil law,domestic animals are classified as property,meaning that when a pet is negligently injured or killed,compensation is limited to its financial value.Emotional loss-despite being profound and well documented-is not recognised.
The legal position is increasingly out of step with public sentiment, scientific understanding of animal sentience and the scale of pet ownership in the UK.Companian animals are integral to UK family life where 99% consider dogs part of the family.
Why was this petition rejected?
It’s not clear what the petition is asking the UK Government or Parliament to do.
Petitions need to call on the Government or Parliament to take a specific action. We're not sure exactly what you'd like the Government or Parliament to do.
There is already legislation that does not consider animals purely as property, such as the Animal Welfare Act 2006, the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022, and the Pet Abduction Act 2024. The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 legally recognised vertebrates as sentient beings.
You can read about existing offences involving domestic and captive animals here: https://www.cps.gov.uk/prosecution-guidance/offences-involving-domestic-and-captive-animals
For your petition to be accepted, we would need to know more details about what you are proposing, including what existing laws you want to see changed or introduced, as well as how you would like to see companion animals classified in relation to them. You may wish to frame this around a review of the status of animals in law if you submit a new petition setting out clearly what action you want the Government or Parliament to take.
You may also wish to sign the following petition, which deals with a similar issue:
Review and reform legal status of pets, and rules on animal control equipment
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/750741We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.