Animals to be considered sentient beings by new UK laws

Recognising that animals can experience fear, anxiety, and other emotions will carve out a clearer path for clamping down on illegal activity that pertains to animals.

This is especially relevant today as pet theft has increased across the nation as the demand for puppies increased during lockdowns. Special government teams have already been assigned to tackle this rise in activity, as it is distressing for both the animals and pet owners.

Sentience recognition will also provide room for further discussions about the ethics of using shock-collars used for training animals, how farm crates and cages can be improved to provide better animal wellbeing, and reducing the use of glue traps for controlling pests.

Now, some MPs are calling for the bill to include invertebrates such as lobsters and octopuses. Both of these animals display high levels of intelligence and understanding, yet they have not been categorised as sentient due to the nature of their anatomy.

They collect and process information in a different way than humans, using the outside parts of their body instead of their brain, for example, in the tentacles, or using antennae.

Among scientists, these creatures are regarded as highly intelligent with the capability of experiencing joy, pain, fear, and suffering.

This has been highlighted to the public through undersea nature documentaries, specifically My Octopus Teacher, which tells the fascinating story of the relationship between a diver and an octopus over the course of a year.

The acceptance of the animal sentience bill is a fantastic indication that humans as a whole are beginning to fully realise our complex connection with nature.

If octopuses are to be included, it will be a symbol of open mindedness that animals don’t need to be wired the same way as humans to be inherently similar to us.

The move is an important one for wildlife conservation, protecting natural environments, and for respecting other species in the natural world – all of which are now more important than ever.