It’s time to tackle The Enforcement Problem and put animals back into the Animal Welfare Act. Read our findings and find out how to take action: animallawfoundation.org/enfo… #TheEnforcementProblem #AWA20 #AHWA20 #AnimalLaw #AnimalProtection

The Enforcement Problem on @ITVWales this morning. For the third time in December 2025, The Animal Law Foundation gathered and analysed enforcement data across the United Kingdom. For the third year in a row, the data shows low inspection rates, high non-compliance and a reluctance to use formal enforcement powers across the UK. Unfortunately Wales is no exception. We found that less than 5% of farms in Wales are inspected and prosecutions were commenced in less than 1% of cases where non-compliance was found. We presented the data yesterday at the Senedd to call for stronger enforcement of animal protection laws in Wales. Watch the clip here: itv.com/watch/news/your-roun… #TheEnforcementProblem #AnimalLaw #AnimalProtection

Our Executive Director, Edie presented our findings from our report on #TheEnforcementProblem Representatives of @WalesLicensing Wales, @RSPCA_official and @CTSI_UK supported calls for better enforcement while highlighting the importance of increased capacity and resourcing. 👇

We’re at the Senedd for our event to present and discuss The Enforcement Problem with Welsh Members of Senedd and other stakeholders, where we will present our findings from our latest report. We look forward to hearing from our host @CThomasMS and other speakers representing @WalesLicensing, the @CTSI_UK and @RSPCA_official. #TheEnforcementProblem

Next week, we will be at the Senedd to host a Parliamentary event on #TheEnforcementProblem. The event will bring together Members of Senedd, policymakers, enforcement bodies, practitioners and advocates to discuss the challenges in enforcing the laws that exist to protect animals in Wales. Stay tuned for updates! #TheEnforcementProblem #AnimalLaw #AnimalProtection

Why animal welfare failures threaten the rule of law: “A common misconception persists that animal protection is a niche issue, peripheral to core legal principles. In reality, it is a litmus test for them. Animal welfare legislation imposes legal duties: to prevent suffering, to provide basic care, to protect animals at slaughter and during transport. When those duties are routinely breached and routinely unenforced, the message is unmistakable: some laws can be broken without consequence.” Read our Executive Director’s article on ‘Animal rights and legal wrongs’ here: theecologist.org/2026/jan/08… #AnimalProtection #AnimalLaw #TheEnforcementProblem

The Animal Law Foundation has long argued that animal protection laws mean nothing if enforcement does not follow. We are delighted to see progress in this area, and the fruits of our work, including on the #TheEnforcementProblem and #PainAtTheTimeofKilling We will continue our work on these issues and ensure the government follows through on its commitments. Read the strategy here: gov.uk/government/publicatio… Find out more about our work here: animallawfoundation.org/ #AnimalProtection #AnimalLaw

‘Farm animal welfare in question as one in 304 breaches is acted upon’ The Sunday Post reports Our latest report on #TheEnforcementProblem showed that in Scotland only 2.88% of farms were inspected in 2024, meaning 97.02% of Scottish farms received no official welfare visit at all. In slaughterhouses, only one in 304 cases of non-compliance in Scotland resulted in an enforcement action. Our Executive Director Edie Bowles, said: “Scot­land’s cur­rent enforce­ment of farmed animal wel­fare law is demon­strably inad­equate. “With 97% of farms unin­spec­ted, the highest breach rate in the UK, and only 1% of viol­a­tions lead­ing to pro­sec­u­tion, mean­ing­ful over­sight is prac­tic­ally impossible. “If animal wel­fare legis­la­tion is to carry any real weight, Scot­land must strengthen enforce­ment so that breaches of the law are no longer treated as incon­sequen­tial.” Read our report here: animallawfoundation.org/enfo… #AnimalLaw #AnimalProtection #TheEnforcementProblem

‘The system simply isn’t deterring cruelty’ Our report revealed last week that Northern Ireland’s on-farm inspection rates were as low as 1.13% in 2024. Our Executive Director Edie Bowles, said: “When only one percent of farms are being inspected and then no prosecutions are then commenced when animals are harmed, it shows the system simply isn’t deterring cruelty." “Independent investigations shouldn’t be the only line of defence for farmed animals in Northern Ireland. Proper enforcement is the backbone of animal protection – without it, the law is little more than words on paper." Read the full article here: irishnews.com/news/northern-… Read our report here: animallawfoundation.org/enfo… #AnimalLaw #AnimalProtection #TheEnforcementProblem

Without enforcement, legal protections mean nothing. I’ve read The Animal Law Foundation’s report on how legal protections for animals are NOT being enforced. I'm joining @AnimallawFDN calling @DefraGovUK to address #TheEnforcementProblem animallawfoundation.org/repo…

Is the UK a world leader in animal welfare? Our latest report says otherwise The UK loves to call itself a world leader in animal welfare. It’s a line repeated in government speeches, media headlines, and even proudly displayed on farming websites. But looking closely, and seeing what the data says, the picture becomes less flattering. Read our latest insight and find out more: animallawfoundation.org/insi… Read our report: animallawfoundation.org/enfo… #AnimalLaw #AnimalProtection #TheEnforcementProblem

@AnimallawFDN has published #TheEnforcementProblem revealing that in 2024 only 2.2% of farms were inspected, 28.4% of those inspections revealed welfare breaches, but only 2.2% of cases of non-compliance resulted in a prosecution. You can learn more here: animallawfoundation.org/repo…

Behind the UK’s reputation for strong animal protection lies an enforcement system that barely functions. For the third year, our data shows the same alarming trend: laws on paper aren’t being applied in practice. Our new report on #TheEnforcementProblem shows that: ⚠️Only 2.2% of farms were inspected last year. ⚠️28.4% of those inspections revealed welfare breaches. ⚠️But only 2.2% of cases of non-compliance on farms result in prosecutions meaning more than 97.8% of these cases never lead to prosecutions ⚠️Only half of all complaints about farm animal welfare in the UK resulted in an inspection by public authorities. That’s not leadership. That’s neglect. Read our report and find out more here: animallawfoundation.org/enfo… #AnimalLaw #AnimalProtection #TheEnforcementProblem

Without enforcement, legal protections mean nothing. I’ve read The Animal Law Foundation’s report on how legal protections for animals are NOT being enforced. I'm joining @AnimallawFDN calling @DefraGovUK to address #TheEnforcementProblem animallawfoundation.org/repo…

Without enforcement, legal protections mean nothing. I’ve read The Animal Law Foundation’s report on how legal protections for animals are NOT being enforced. I'm joining @AnimallawFDN calling @DefraGovUK to address #TheEnforcementProblem animallawfoundation.org/repo…

Animals deserve more than empty promises. They deserve laws that mean something in practice. Read our report and share with your MP: animallawfoundation.org/enfo… #AnimalLaw #AnimalProtection #TheEnforcementProblem

BREAKING: Our newly published data on #TheEnforcementProblem shows the UK is home to systemic breaches of animal protection laws but no prosecutions. 🔍 Find our new report here: animallawfoundation.org/enfo… Scroll to see what we found 🧵👇

Farmed animals are protected by several laws across the UK. These include The Animal Welfare Act 2006, The Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, and The Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, which mandate that animals are spared any unnecessary suffering, and impose a duty on those responsible for the animals to ensure their welfare. Sadly, our research on #TheEnforcementProblem reveals widespread and systemic under-enforcement of these laws. To tackle this, we believe it is of vital importance that laws that exist to protect animals are understood and applied. #AnimalProtection #AnimalLaw

Behind the numbers: The true scale of animal agriculture in the UK Concentrated in regional pockets and behind the walls of industrial farms, the sheer scale of animal agriculture in the UK is too often overlooked and too easily disregarded. Whilst the numbers can desensitise us to the individuality of these animals, it is important to highlight that each one of these billion animals are protected by legal and regulatory frameworks enacted by Parliament. However, a lack of enforcement means these protections often go unrealised. Read our insight and find out the numbers of UK animal agriculture: animallawfoundation.org/insi… #AnimalLaw #AnimalProtection #TheEnforcementProblem

From trade talks to Parliament 🇬🇧🐾 Yesterday we met with @biztradegovuk's trade negotiating team to highlight key UK animal welfare laws that go beyond EU standards – vital context as they negotiate animal trade agreements. Later that day, we presented data findings on #TheEnforcementProblem in Parliament, sharing evidence with MPs and stakeholders at the @apgaw – data we will be sharing publicly soon.