To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prosecutions for animal cruelty there have been in each year since 2010.

The number of defendants proceeded against at Magistrates Courts for offences under Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, in England and Wales, from 2010 to 2015, can be viewed in the table. Data for 2016 is planned for publication in May 2017.

Defendants proceeded against at Magistrates Courts for offences under S4 Animal Welfare Act 2006, England and Wales, 2010 to 2015 (1)(2)

(1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

(2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.