Recent cases of animal abuse, including those trusted to care for pets, have exposed gaps in current protections. There is no legal requirement for pet sitters to undergo background checks, and no formal system to prevent individuals with a history of animal cruelty from working with animals.

Data from the RSPCA shows that thousands of cruelty complaints are investigated each year, with hundreds of prosecutions, yet we believe sentencing outcomes remain inconsistent and often do not act as a sufficient deterrent. Currently, there is: • No requirement for background checks for those working with animals • No automatic lifetime bans for the most serious offenders • No system to ensure offenders are prevented from reoffending in animal care roles