Charity welcomes plans covering farmed animals, pets and wildlife but urges stronger laws and enforcement

THE RSPCA has welcomed the UK Government’s newly announced animal welfare strategy, describing it as an “important first step” towards improving the lives of millions of animals across the country.

The strategy, published on Sunday (Dec 21), sets out proposed measures aimed at improving welfare standards for farmed animals, pets and wildlife, including plans to tackle cages for laying hens, pig farrowing crates, CO₂ stunning of pigs, trail hunting, snares and the extreme breeding of dogs.

The charity said the proposals could mark meaningful progress if followed through with strong legislation and enforcement.

Thomas Schultz-Jagow, the RSPCA’s Director of Advocacy and Prevention, said: “We welcome the UK Government’s new animal welfare strategy, which is an important first step towards improving the lives of millions of farmed animals, pets and wildlife.

“People in the UK care deeply about animals and want to see governments leading the way by outlawing cruel practices and introducing laws that treat animals with the kindness and respect they deserve.”

Farming practices under scrutiny

Lower-welfare farming remains the single biggest welfare challenge, the RSPCA said, with more than a billion animals farmed for food in the UK each year.

The strategy proposes action on keeping animals in cages and on the continued use of high-concentration carbon dioxide to stun pigs at slaughter – a practice the RSPCA says causes significant distress and suffering and has campaigned against for more than a decade.

The Government also plans to promote slower-growing chicken breeds. Around 90% of meat chickens in the UK are fast-growing breeds, which often suffer from lameness, heart defects and early death due to the speed at which they are reared.

For the first time, the strategy proposes consulting on welfare standards for fish slaughter and guidance on killing decapod crustaceans, including potentially banning live boiling. Decapods were formally recognised as sentient under the Animal Sentience Act 2022.

RSPCA Assured scheme highlighted

RSPCA Assured, the charity’s ethical food label, currently assesses more than 4,000 farms and businesses against higher welfare standards.

Executive Director Toby Baker said: “When we visit an RSPCA Assured member farm, we see healthy animals with space to move, rest and feed, free from crates and cages. That is what we want for all farmed animals.

“Creating a kinder food system is achievable. Thirty years ago battery cages for hens were the norm, yet today around 80% of eggs produced in the UK are cage-free. That shows what can be achieved when government, farmers and welfare experts work together.”

However, the RSPCA expressed disappointment that mandatory method-of-production labelling was not included in the strategy, despite a Government consultation last year showing 99% public support for clearer food labelling.

Measures on pets and breeding

The strategy also includes proposals to tighten dog-breeding regulations, require all breeders to be registered, and license currently unregulated dog fertility clinics. The charity said this could help tackle puppy farming and the extreme breeding of dogs with exaggerated traits, such as flat faces, which often lead to lifelong health problems.

David Bowles, Head of Public Affairs at the RSPCA, said: “Health and welfare must come first when breeding pets. Exaggerated traits are causing widespread suffering, and breeders must put animals’ wellbeing ahead of appearance or profit.”

The Government has also proposed licensing pet rescue and rehoming centres, a move the RSPCA said should apply to both pets and wildlife.

Wildlife protections welcomed

On wildlife, the charity welcomed a planned consultation on banning trail hunting, moves towards outlawing snares in England, restrictions on spring traps, and the introduction of a statutory closed season for hares.

The RSPCA said mounting evidence suggests trail hunting is being used as a cover for illegal hunting with dogs, while snares continue to cause widespread suffering to both target and non-target animals.

David Bowles added: “We need a robust animal welfare strategy because how we breed, farm, sell and use animals – or encroach on their habitats – has real consequences.

“This plan is an encouraging start, but it must be backed by strong laws and enforcement to ensure it delivers genuine change for animals.”

FARMERS in Wales have welcomed new legislation which significantly strengthens protections for livestock following dog attacks, with unlimited fines and expanded police powers now coming into force.

The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025 was passed on Wednesday (December 18), removing the previous £1,000 cap on fines for livestock worrying in both Wales and England. Courts will now be able to impose unlimited penalties, while police will have new powers to seize and detain dogs believed to pose an ongoing threat to farm animals.

The new law also allows officers to apply for warrants to enter properties where dogs are suspected of being involved in attacks, strengthening evidence gathering and improving the chances of successful prosecutions.

In a significant update, the legislation modernises the legal definition of livestock and what constitutes an attack, reflecting changes in farming practices and dog ownership. For the first time, llamas and alpacas will receive the same legal protection as cattle, sheep, goats and poultry.

The Act also clarifies that offences can occur on roads, tracks and public paths, ensuring livestock remain protected while being moved between fields or along highways.

The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW), which has long campaigned for tougher action on livestock worrying, said the changes were long overdue.

Commenting on the legislation, FUW regional vice-president Anwen Hughes said dog attacks cause severe trauma to animals and place enormous strain on farming families.

“Beyond the immediate injuries and fatalities, the stress caused by dog attacks can lead to miscarriages in ewes and lambs becoming separated from their mothers,” she said.

“The FUW has consistently called for stronger police and legal powers to tackle this issue, and we warmly welcome the passing of this important legislation. It represents a significant step forward in protecting livestock, supporting farmers, and strengthening rural communities.”

Ms Hughes also urged dog owners to act responsibly when visiting the countryside.

“Even the most friendly and well-trained dogs have a natural instinct to chase,” she said. “It is vital that owners keep their dogs under proper control and do not underestimate the risks.”

THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have challenged the Welsh Government over climate change policies they say could lead to reductions in livestock numbers across Wales, raising concerns about the future of Welsh farming.

The row follows the Welsh Government’s decision, alongside Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Liberal Democrats, to support the UK Climate Change Committee’s Fourth Carbon Budget, which sets out the pathway towards Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The Carbon Budget, produced by the independent Climate Change Committee (CCC), states that meeting Net Zero targets will require a reduction in agricultural emissions, including changes to land use and, in some scenarios, a reduction in livestock numbers.

During questioning in the Senedd, the Welsh Conservatives pressed the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs on whether the Welsh Government supports reducing livestock numbers as part of its climate strategy.

Speaking after the exchange, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Samuel Kurtz MS, said the Welsh Government could not distance itself from the implications of the policy it had backed.

Mr Kurtz said: “By voting in favour of these climate change regulations, Labour, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats have signed up to the UK Climate Change Committee’s call to cut livestock numbers in Wales, and they cannot dodge that reality.

“The Deputy First Minister’s smoke-and-mirrors answers only confirm what farmers already fear: that Labour, along with their budget bedfellows in Plaid and the Lib Dems, are prepared to sacrifice Welsh agriculture in pursuit of climate targets.”

He added that the issue came at a time of growing pressure on the farming sector, pointing to uncertainty over the proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme, the ongoing failure to eradicate bovine TB, nitrogen pollution regulations under the Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs), and proposed changes to inheritance tax rules affecting family farms.

The Welsh Government has repeatedly said it does not have a target to forcibly reduce livestock numbers and has argued that future emissions reductions will come through a combination of improved farming practices, environmental land management, and changes in land use agreed with farmers.

Ministers have also said the Sustainable Farming Scheme, which is due to replace the Basic Payment Scheme, is intended to reward farmers for food production alongside environmental outcomes, rather than remove land from agriculture.

The UK Climate Change Committee, which advises governments across the UK, has stressed that its pathways are based on modelling rather than fixed quotas, and that devolved governments have flexibility in how targets are met.

However, farming unions and rural groups in Wales have warned that policies focused on emissions reduction risk undermining the viability of livestock farming, particularly in upland and marginal areas where alternatives to grazing are limited.

The debate highlights the growing tension between climate targets and food production in Wales, with livestock farming remaining a central part of the rural economy and Welsh cultural identity.

As discussions continue over the final shape of the Sustainable Farming Scheme and Wales’ long-term climate plans, pressure is mounting on the Welsh Government to reassure farmers that climate policy will not come at the expense of the sector’s survival.