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Open petition: Categorise all air rifles as firearms and require owners to be licenced

Created by Marion Veal
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Currently some air rifles can be purchased by anyone over the age of 18. Every year wild animals and pets die or are permanently injured by air rifle bullets. All air rifles should be treated as firearms and subject to the same rules as owning a gun. They are not toys.

I volunteer at a wildlife rescue. Yesterday a beautiful fox was brought in, from an urban area, having been shot 4 times by an air rifle. She was paralysed. I have heard of numerous cases of cats, squirrels, foxes, waterfowl and hedgehogs being injured by air rifle bullets …I refuse to call them pellets. They are not for idiots who think shooting an animal is a laugh.

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    If this petition gets 10,000 signatures, government will respond to it.

    If this petition gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.

    This petition will stay open until 14 March 2027.