Statement about animal sentience and the EU (withdrawal) bill

22 November 2017

Sean Wensley, Senior Vet at PDSA said:

“The Government’s failure to explicitly incorporate animal sentience in to UK law post-Brexit would be a backward step and severely undermine the UK’s reputation and leadership in animal welfare.

As the Government has previously acknowledged, the UK’s commitment to protecting and promoting animal welfare is critical to our global standing and future trade negotiations. Without explicit legal reference to animal sentience – the capacity for feelings such as hunger, fear, pleasure and pain – the UK will lose hard-won recognition of this fundamental principle, and the resulting requirement to account for the welfare of all sentient animals.

The UK will also lose its (currently enviable) position in animal welfare leadership, which is linked to a country’s formal recognition of animal sentience in legislation and policy. Without legal recognition of sentience, we return to a time when animals are barely distinguished from inanimate property. This is relevant to both the legal status of animals currently and, importantly, to future animal welfare legislation.

Recognising animal sentience is the cornerstone of animal welfare and we are at risk of losing this recognition in law. Finding a way to prevent this must now be the Government’s priority.”