ANIMAL ABUSER REGISTER
We are campaigning for stronger safeguards to stop convicted animal abusers from acquiring more animals. In March 2026, I launched a parliamentary petition calling for an animal abuser register and compulsory animal ownership bans. The petition has now closed, but our campaign continues.
Support The Campaign→0
Petition Signatures
DEBATED
In Parliament — 29th June 2026
ONGOING
The Campaign Continues
WHAT ARE WE ASKING FOR?
We want to create a national system that allows relevant organisations to identify people who have been convicted of serious animal abuse or who are legally banned from keeping animals — to prevent known animal abusers from being able to acquire more animals and continue the cycle of abuse.
This could include organisations such as:
- Animal rescue centres and shelters
- Animal welfare organisations
- Vets
- Responsible breeders
- Relevant authorities
We also want stronger and more consistent animal ownership bans for people convicted of serious, intentional animal abuse.
WHY IS THIS NEEDED?
People convicted of animal cruelty can already be banned by a court from owning or caring for animals. The problem is that the people giving animals new homes cannot routinely check whether someone has one of these bans. This creates a safeguarding gap — someone could be convicted of deliberately abusing animals, be banned from keeping them, and later attempt to acquire another animal.
The aim is prevention. Instead of waiting for another animal to be harmed before authorities can intervene, we want better safeguards to stop animals being placed into the care of known abusers in the first place.
WHO IS THIS INTENDED TO TARGET?
This campaign is focused on people who deliberately abuse animals. There is an important difference between intentional animal abuse and situations where an animal has been neglected because their owner is struggling.
Through my free cleaning work, I regularly meet people experiencing mental illness, disability, financial hardship and other circumstances that can make caring for themselves and their animals extremely difficult. These are not the people this campaign is intended to target. Our focus is on people with a proven history of deliberately inflicting suffering on animals.
WHY DID I START THIS CAMPAIGN?
Through my free cleaning work, I occasionally came across situations where domestic animals appeared to be experiencing deliberate abuse behind closed doors. After reporting concerns and learning more about how animal welfare investigations work, I began researching what happens when someone has already been convicted of animal cruelty.
What concerned me the most was discovering how difficult it can be for the organisations placing animals into people's care. They often have no way to know if someone has been previously convicted or banned from keeping animals.
If we already know someone has deliberately abused animals, why aren't we doing more to prevent another animal from being placed in their care?
THE PETITION
On 12th March 2026, I launched the Parliamentary petition: "Make a public animal abuser register & automatically ban ownership."
At 10,000 signatures, the Government was required to respond.
At 100,000 signatures, the petition became eligible to be considered for debate in Parliament.
The petition reached 100,000 signatures in just over three weeks and eventually received 245,469 signatures. It was debated in Parliament on 29th June 2026.
→ View The PetitionWHAT HAPPENED IN PARLIAMENT?
MPs debated the proposal and the wider problems surrounding animal abuse, ownership bans and access to information about previous offenders. Stephen Morgan, speaking on behalf of DEFRA and the Government, did not agree to introduce the register or automatic lifetime bans proposed by the petition.
One of the concerns raised was the potential for harassment or vigilante behaviour if offenders' personal information were made freely available to the general public. We understand that concern. Although the original petition used the words "public register", our aim is not to create a website where anybody can search someone's personal details. We want to explore a controlled system where relevant organisations can access the information they need to protect animals.
The parliamentary debate did not result in a change to the law. But 245,469 people supported the petition, the issue was formally debated in Parliament and the campaign has opened conversations with MPs, campaigners and animal welfare organisations about what a workable system could potentially look like.
THE TIMELINE
12 March 2026
The Petition Launches
I launched a parliamentary petition calling for an animal abuser register and compulsory animal ownership bans.
Three Weeks In
100,000 Signatures
The petition reached 100,000 signatures in just over three weeks, making it eligible to be considered for debate in Parliament.
245,469 Signatures
The Petition Closes
By the time the petition closed, 245,469 people had added their name to the campaign.
29 June 2026
Debated In Parliament
MPs debated the petition. The Government did not agree to introduce the register or automatic lifetime bans.
Today
The Campaign Continues
We are working to turn the petition into a detailed, legally workable proposal, alongside people involved in Holly's Law, Ruby's Law and The Naturewatch Foundation.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
We are now working to turn the original petition into a more detailed and legally workable proposal. We are in contact with people involved in Holly's Law, Ruby's Law, and The Naturewatch Foundation, and we will continue working with organisations and campaigners who share our concerns about gaps in the safeguarding of domestic animals.
Our next major step is to explore specialist legal support. We would like to work with legal professionals to develop a detailed proposal that addresses questions including:
- Who should appear on the register?
- Which convictions should qualify?
- Who should be able to access it?
- How ownership bans could be checked and enforced
- How privacy and safeguarding concerns should be addressed
We are currently exploring whether a legal team may be willing to help with this work pro bono. If that is not possible, we will explore fundraising to cover the legal costs involved.
If someone has a proven history of deliberately abusing animals, we should do everything possible to prevent another animal being placed in their care.
We want to move the system towards prevention, not just reaction. This page will be updated as the campaign continues to develop.