Reform Civil Law to recognise companion animals as more than just property

Reform Civil Law to recognise companion animals as more than just property — 8 signatures. Status: rejected.

Petition background

To modernise civil law so that companion animals -who are widely regarded as family- are no longer treated solely as property in civil claims, and to allow courts to award damages for emotional distress when a pet is harmed or killed due to negligence or wrongdoing.

Additional details

Under current UK civil law,domestic animals are classified as property,meaning that when a pet is negligently injured or killed,compensation is limited to its financial value.Emotional loss-despite being profound and well documented-is not recognised. The legal position is increasingly out of step with public sentiment, scientific understanding of animal sentience and the scale of pet ownership in the UK.Companian animals are integral to UK family life where 99% consider dogs part of the family.

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