Blue Cross welcomes Queen's speech announcement

The Blue Cross has welcomed the announcement in the Queen’s Speech of plans to overhaul animal welfare legislation.

The pet charity has worked alongside the government and other major animal welfare organisations in drawing up measures for inclusion in the Animal Welfare Bill. The new bill will be the first comprehensive update of animal welfare legislation since the 1911 Protection of Animals Act and would impose a ‘duty of care’ on pet owners, ensuring that anyone responsible for an animal has a legal obligation to look after its welfare.

Steve Goody, Blue Cross director of companion animal welfare, said: “A new law is needed that reflects modern traits of animal ownership and meets the concerns of organisations like The Blue Cross. Since we were founded over a century ago, The Blue Cross has worked to promote responsible animal ownership, and the ‘duty of care’ principle supports that objective.

“Much of the current legislation is outdated and ineffective. A thorough review is long overdue. This is great news for Britain’s pets.”