Animal cruelty & wildlife crime fact sheets
How to recognise common types of animal cruelty and wildlife crime in England & Wales — and how to report them. If you've seen something, you can make a report in a few minutes.
Animal cruelty
-
Animal neglect
Neglect is the most common form of animal cruelty. It happens when an animal is not given the things it needs to be healthy — food, water, shelter, a clean environment and veterinary care.
-
Abandoning an animal
Abandonment is leaving an animal to fend for itself without proper care — for example dumping a pet, or moving away and leaving an animal behind. It is cruel and against the law.
-
Dog fighting
Dog fighting is the illegal, organised abuse of dogs forced to fight one another, usually for gambling. It is a serious crime that causes appalling injuries and is linked to other organised criminality.
-
Illegal puppy farming
Puppy farming is the large-scale breeding of puppies for profit with little regard for their health or welfare. Puppies are often sold sick, underage and separated from their mothers too early.
-
Animal hoarding
Animal hoarding is keeping far more animals than a person can properly look after. Despite often good intentions, it leads to overcrowding, disease and serious neglect.
-
Cockfighting
Cockfighting is the illegal blood "sport" in which cockerels are forced to fight one another, usually for gambling. The birds are often fitted with sharp blades or spurs and suffer severe injuries and death.
-
Ear cropping
Ear cropping is the painful removal of part of a dog's ears, usually to make the dog look more aggressive. It serves no health benefit, causes suffering, and is illegal in England and Wales.
-
Illegal tail docking
Tail docking is the removal of all or part of a dog's tail. Docking for cosmetic reasons is banned in England and Wales, with only narrow exemptions for certain working dogs carried out by a vet in the first few days of life.
Wildlife crime
-
Badger baiting
Badger baiting is a serious, organised form of animal cruelty in which badgers are dug out of their setts and set upon by dogs. It is illegal across England and Wales, and badgers and their setts are strongly protected by law.
-
Illegal fox hunting
Hunting a wild mammal, including a fox, with dogs has been banned in England and Wales since the Hunting Act 2004. Despite the ban, illegal hunting still happens — sometimes disguised as legal "trail" hunting.
-
Illegal snaring of wildlife
Snares are wire nooses set to catch animals such as foxes and rabbits. Self-locking snares are illegal, and even legal snares are frequently misused in ways that cause prolonged suffering to wildlife and pets.
-
Hare coursing
Hare coursing is the illegal pursuit of hares with dogs, often sighthounds such as lurchers, frequently linked to gambling, trespass and intimidation of landowners.
-
Bird of prey persecution
Birds of prey such as buzzards, red kites, hen harriers and golden eagles are protected by law, yet are still illegally poisoned, shot and trapped — a crime known as raptor persecution.
-
Deer poaching
Deer poaching is the illegal killing or pursuit of deer, often at night and frequently using dogs, vehicles and lamps. It causes serious suffering and is linked to wider rural crime.
Seen something? Report it
Every report helps. It only takes a few minutes, and if an animal is in immediate danger you should call 999.
Report animal cruelty