The UK government's recently unveiled animal welfare strategy has drawn a mixed response from experts and campaigners. While welcoming proposed bans on some of the most contentious farming practices, critics argue the plans do not go nearly far enough to protect free-living wildlife or address the systemic issues of factory farming.
Wildlife Laws 'Outdated' and Overlooked
In a letter to the Guardian, Alick Simmons, the UK's deputy chief veterinary officer between 2007 and 2015, praised the strategy's improvements for kept animals but argued it sells wildlife short. He stated that wildlife law is "outdated and, as recommended by the Law Society, is ripe for review."
Simmons highlighted inconsistencies, such as why four native mustelid species have comprehensive protection while two others have almost none. He also pointed out that the recent Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act requires the government to consider animal sentience in policy, making a review of old wildlife laws a logical priority.
Instead, he contends, the government is merely "tinkering with the edges." He cited the proposed close season for hares, designed to protect young hares, as an example that ignores the plight of stoats, weasels, crows, and moles whose offspring suffer when parents are killed in breeding seasons.
Factory Farming Expansion Remains a Key Concern
Ruth Tanner, UK country director for World Animal Protection, acknowledged the strategy's "promising plan" to raise welfare standards for millions of animals. The plan includes landmark moves such as outlawing cages for egg-laying hens and small farrowing crates for mother pigs.
However, Tanner warned that the strategy offers "few indications" it will halt the expansion of factory farming itself. She argued that these intensive systems are the root cause of much animal cruelty and also pose significant threats to climate, environment, and public health.
With the government's national food strategy and farming vision due in 2026, Tanner urged ministers to "prioritise a shift away from factory farming" and support a transition to nature-friendly agriculture.
Controversy Over Electric Collar Ban
The strategy's proposed ban on electric shock collars for pets has also sparked debate. Correspondent David Sutton from Salisbury, Wiltshire, argued that for cats, these devices are containment systems, not training tools.
Sutton claimed that using such a system for 20 years had prevented cats from being run over on roads, calling a ban a "cruel removal of cats’ safety." He described the collars as issuing a warning beep first, with a small pulse only if the cat continues, and said his cats had never been traumatised.
Other readers welcomed Labour's broader legislative push on animal welfare, linking kindness to animals with kindness to humans, while one queried the welfare of mussels amidst a proposed ban on boiling lobsters alive.
The letters collectively underscore a public and expert demand for a more comprehensive and legally robust approach to animal welfare in the UK, one that addresses both domestic and wild animals with equal vigour.
