Shock new research reveals 4.6million animals could be ‘victims of illegal harm’
New Evidence Centre aims to influence decision-makers for change
A major new animal welfare research centre has been labelled as “urgently needed”, amid shocking new research which suggests as many as 4.6 million animals are being illegally harmed across Great Britain every year.
The Animal Welfare Evidence Centre officially launched on 10 September – and has published findings which demonstrate the scale of criminal harm to animals taking place across the UK.
For too long, data related to animals has been patchy, fragmented and only available sporadically via many different bodies – making access a time-consuming, confusing and challenging process.
But four animal welfare giants – the RSPCA, Compassion in World Farming, FOUR PAWS UK and Humane World for Animals UK – have joined forces, with an aim of “revolutionising” the data, research and insights available to help combat animal suffering.
And their first project has been to understand the scale of illegal animal harm taking place across Great Britain.
Thomas Schultz-Jagow said: “The RSPCA couldn’t be prouder to be a driving force behind the new Animal Welfare Evidence Centre.
“While so many amazing people, organisations and communities are working really hard to help animals, harm and suffering remains commonplace. We need everyone to do their bit to help stop animal cruelty – but we know that will only be possible if we truly understand the drivers and causes behind these harms, and why it has become so systemic.
“The Centre is uniquely placed to bring together, consolidate and interpret the vast array of data that, for too long, has sat in isolation. Then, and only then, can we truly understand the scale of animal cruelty – and what everyone can do to tackle it, and help make this a better, kinder world for every kind.”
The centre’s first major piece of research – entitled The Scale of Reported Illegal Animal Abuse and Neglect in Great Britain – estimates that between one million to 4.6 million animals suffer illegal harm annually in Great Britain across companion, farmed, wild, and scientific settings.
The upper range of that scale has been determined by studying high-end NGO reporting with inspection data, including farm non-compliance projections, zoo standard failures, and RSPCA cruelty reports.
Despite rising prosecutions and reported incidents, massive attrition remains across the justice system, with only 3% of recorded police animal offences resulting in a charge – and many incidents not being responded to at all.
Dr Jennifer Maher, formerly an Associate Professor in Green Criminology at the University of South Wales, was appointed as Chief of Research for the new body in July.
She said: “By understanding the true scale and root causes of illegal animal harms, we can move away from simply reacting to cruelty and instead develop evidence-based strategies to prevent it before it happens.
“We cannot fix a problem we don’t fully understand – which is why this new centre is so urgently needed.
“And with more research like this, we hope The Centre can play a major role in helping all stakeholders understand the power of dealing with the symptoms of animal cruelty that, for too long, has permeated our behaviours, institutions and wider society.”
The report will lay the foundations for further research into the economic impact of animal harms to British society – which animal welfare leaders hope will help make the case to governments about the need to prioritise greater investment in preventing animal cruelty.
Thomas added: “With more than four and a half million animals potentially the victims of illegal harm every single year, it’s clear we need urgent action.
“The Centre aims to demonstrate not only the miserable scale of current harm levels towards animals, but also the economic impact bad animal welfare is having for every family, community and social group across the country.”
Funding from the centre has stemmed from both a transformational gift and legacy from the Katherine Martin Charitable Trust, alongside additional financial support and backing from the RSPCA.
The Evidence Centre officially launched at an event in London on 10 September, attended by local authorities, enforcement bodies, academics and the wider animal welfare sector.
More information on the Animal Welfare Evidence Centre is available on the body’s website.
