UK pets at risk as two-thirds of owners unaware of legal welfare needs

07 November 2016

The UK prides itself on being a nation of animal lovers but only one in three pet owners (35%) are familiar with their pet's legal welfare needs* , reveals a coalition of veterinary organisations today ahead of the tenth anniversary of the landmark Animal Welfare Acts (8 November).

Despite over half of UK households owning a pet, findings from our PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report shows that year-on-year owners’ awareness of their pets’ welfare needs remains consistently low**. This has prompted leading veterinary organisations including the British Veterinary Association (BVA), British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA), Blue Cross, British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA), British Veterinary Zoological Society (BVZS), PDSA and RSPCA to launch a joint campaign to help pet owners better understand the complexities of their pet’s five welfare needs.

Our research further shows that pet owners who feel more informed about each of the five welfare needs are significantly more likely to provide preventive healthcare to their pets, which might help mitigate the upset and potential need for emergency veterinary care***.
The 2006 Animal Welfare Acts of England and Wales, and Scotland consolidated and replaced more than 20 pieces of outmoded legislation. They established a duty of care, enshrining in law five animal welfare needs, outlining housing, diet, behaviour, social interactions and health as the legal responsibilities that every owner should meet to ensure their pet is as happy and healthy as possible.

PDSA vet, Rebecca Ashman, comments: “Pets are treasured companions who fulfil and enrich the lives of many. They are so much more than ‘just pets’; they are part of our families, offering love and support to millions of owners. And as with all family members, we should do everything we can to ensure they are as happy and healthy as possible. Vets and vet nurses have a crucial role to play in raising awareness and improving owners’ understanding of the five welfare needs – which to date has remained worrying low. By launching this Coalition, we hope to improve understanding of pets’ specific needs and offer the latest, most up-to-date advice so pet owners can provide and protect their pets’ physical and mental wellbeing.”

According to a recent survey by the British Veterinary Association****, vets' top welfare concern is a pet's diet, one of the five welfare needs, with vets reporting obesity, dental issues and other complex health problems as a result. To mark the tenth anniversary of the Animal Welfare Acts, the veterinary coalition is launching a new icon to raise awareness of the five welfare needs and remind pet owners to think about how these apply to their own animals.

To find out more about how the five welfare needs apply to your pet, head to our pet health pages. Your vet is best placed to advise on your pet’s needs based on your pet's species, size and age.

For further information, contact our PR department on pr@pdsa.org.uk and 01952 797234.

* ‘Only one in three pet owners (35%) are familiar with their pet's legal welfare needs’ is a statistic released from the forthcoming PDSA Animal Welfare (PAW) Report, which is due to launch on 17th November 2016.
** According to the PAW Reports 2011 – 2016, pet owner awareness has remained consistently low with figures fluctuating between 45% (2011), 31% (2012), 38% (2013), 36% (2014), 31% (2015) and 35% (2016).
*** Advance statistic from PAW Report 2016
**** BVA’s Spring 2016 Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey, which polled over 1,6000 UK vets, found that over 60% of vets cited obesity as their top health and welfare concern for pets