INTERESTING — LAWYERS FOR ANIMALS

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more This might be the biggest news for animals in years ROB POWNALL MAR 1 READ IN APP For more than a decade, I have dedicated my life to protecting animals. I have stood on the streets at demonstrations. I have lobbied online. I have spoken to camera when cruelty was ignored. I have grown Protect the Wild from a small idea into a team working every day through investigations, journalism, campaigning and public pressure to defend animals in every way possible. And through all of that work, one thing has become painfully clear to me. The missing piece has been consistent legal enforcement. Animal welfare legislation in this country is not perfect. It is not where many of us ultimately want it to be, and organisations like ours will continue working to improve it. But the laws that already exist should, at the very least, be properly applied. Laws only protect animals if they are enforced. Time and again, evidence of potential breaches emerges, particularly in large scale commercial settings, and yet prosecutions remain rare. In 2024, the Animal Law Foundation found that just 2.2 percent of reported violations on farms resulted in prosecution. That figure alone suggests that enforcement is inconsistent. For years, grassroots groups have exposed cruelty and raised awareness. Public concern is clear. In 2025, the RSPCA reported that 71 percent of people in Britain identify as animal lovers, and more than three quarters believe individuals and businesses should be responsible for animal welfare. The evidence exists. The public support exists. What has been less developed, however, is a coordinated and dedicated effort focused specifically on reviewing evidence and, where appropriate, pursuing private prosecutions in cases that extend beyond companion animals, including complex or systemic cases. This is why the launch of Lawyers for Animals matters so much. I am incredibly proud to say that I am a trustee of this new charity (Charity number: 1215659) and have spent the past several months helping to ensure it could be established on strong and responsible foundations. For me, this is the most exciting development in animal protection that I can remember. Lawyers for Animals is a community of barristers and solicitors with a clear and focused purpose: to support the proper enforcement of existing animal protection laws in England and Wales, including private prosecutions where appropriate. Support Lawyers for Animals This work is not about campaigning or advancing a political objective. It is about the rule of law. Any decision to pursue a private prosecution will be based strictly on the evidential test and the public interest test that underpin criminal proceedings. Cases will be assessed carefully, independently and in line with established legal standards. Image from Lawyers for Animals’ website Lawyers for Animals is currently reviewing evidence from more than 100 investigations across England, examining potential breaches of animal protection law. Where the legal threshold is met, and where it is considered to be in the public interest, private prosecutions may be pursued. In just five months, more than twenty barristers and solicitors have come together to build a coordinated legal initiative dedicated to this work. This has been achieved on less than £10,000, demonstrating both the commitment within the legal community and the potential for this to grow. For me personally, knowing that there is now organised legal expertise focused specifically on enforcement gives me renewed energy. It brings a sense that evidence does not have to end with exposure. It can be assessed, tested and, where justified, brought before a court. If you share that sense that proper enforcement matters, I encourage you to support Lawyers for Animals by subscribing to their Substack. It costs nothing. It builds the community around this work. And it helps ensure that the laws already on the statute book are treated as more than words on paper. Animals already have legal protection. Now there is a dedicated community of lawyers working to ensure it is applied. Support Lawyers for Animals Disclaimer: This article is written in my personal capacity as founder of Protect the Wild. While I am a trustee of Lawyers for Animals, the views expressed here are my own and do not constitute formal statements on behalf of the charity. SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing