Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation

08/10/2026

Thank you to the Rt Hon Sir Roger Gale MP and Lady Suzy Gale for all their tireless work to advance animal welfare as our amazing Patrons for the last ten years as we celebrate CAWF’s 10th anniversary!

The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation has held a reception at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham. To highlight the importance of advancing animal welfare and celebrate CAWF’s tenth anniversary.

The event hosted Shadow Minister the Rt Hon Mark Francois MP, featured speeches from the shadow Defra Secretary Rt Hon Victoria Atkins MP and Dr Neil Hudson MP, the Shadow Defra Minister of State and CAWF co-founder Chris Platt.

In his opening remarks Chris Platt highlighted the achievements of the former Conservative Government, including the historic ban on live exports for slaughter and fattening, the Sentience Act, the Pet Abduction Act, ending primates as pets, the Animal (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act, and the Glue Traps Offences Act. He expanded:

“The Conservative government achieved a huge raft of new animal welfare laws whilst in power. Microchipping was made compulsory for cats, service animals were protected through Finn’s Law, ended the import and export of detached shark fins, banned the commercial third- party sales of puppies and kittens (Lucy’s Law) introduced the Ivory Act and extended it to encompass more species, delivered the Wild Animals in Circuses Act, enshrined animal sentience in law, introduced mandatory CCTV into slaughterhouses, implemented tougher sentences for animal cruelty, introduced the Environment Act, formed the Action Plan for Animal Welfare, introduced the Animal Sentience Committee, established Blue Belt Programme and introduced the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway and the Environment Act.. A long list!”

Shadow Defra Secretary, the Rt Hon Victoria Atkins spoke in support of CAWF's work to advance animal welfare and the suite of animal welfare legislation introduced by the Conservatives whilst in government and how important it is to now protect laws such as the landmark live exports ban in UK-EU trade discussions on dynamic alignment with the EU.

08/10/2026

The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation celebrated its 10th anniversary at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham on the 6th October, hosted by the Rt Hon Mark Francois MP, the Shadow Minister for Defence, bringing together Shadow Defra Ministers, MPs, Peers, Councillors, conference attendees and animal welfare advocates. Speakers included the Rt Hon Victoria Atkins MP, the Shadow Defra Secretary of State, Dr Neil Hudson MP, Shadow Defra Minister of State, Dr Steven McCulloch, CAWF’s Head of Research and Founder and Chairman of Pigs Protection, Mark Francois MP and CAWF Co-founder Chris Platt.

https://www.conservativeanimalwelfarefoundation.org/conservative-animal-welfare-foundation/cawf-10th-anniversary-reception-conservative-party-conference/

07/10/2026

Thank you to our Patron the Rt Hon Mark Francois MP for hosting our Animal Welfare Reception at the Conservative Party conference to mark CAWF’s 10th anniversary and his heartfelt speech paying tribute to our much missed patron, the late Sir David Amess’s and his great work to protect animals.

We were delighted to be joined by our speakers - Rt Hon Victoria Atkins MP, Shadow Defra Secretary of State, talking on animal welfare and Dr Neil Hudson MP, the Shadow Defra Minister of State. Our Head of Research and founder of Pigs Protection also gave a speech urging for a ban on pig farrowing crates and an end to high concentration CO2 stunning of pigs at our packed animal welfare reception at in Birmingham.

Thank you also to our Patrons Anna Firth , former MP and Rebecca Harris, the Opposition Whip, Lord Courtown, Baroness Therese Coffey and Shadow Defra Minister Aphra Brandeth MP for joining us at our event. Great to catch up with former MP Kevin Foster. Many thanks to the Chairman of the Conservative Councillors Association- John Cope for joining us.

We were pleased to welcome all our guests and supporters to our reception too, including our old friends Fran and David Carpenter who were at our very first event many years ago at our first party conference - thank you all for joining us !

04/10/2026

Today is , the day where people across the globe stand together and call for action to advance animal welfare.
This year’s theme, ‘See the World Through Their Eyes’, invites us to look at the world from an animal’s perspective and consider how our actions affect their lives.
Whether it’s the animals we share our homes with, the wildlife around us or those living in captivity, every animal deserves to be treated with kindness and compassion.
From ending cages for laying hens, pig farrowing crates, strengthening legal protections for farmed fish and ending the use of frankenchickens to introducing mandatory animal welfare labelling- there is much to do.
worldanimalday.org

02/10/2026

It’s Right now, billions of sentient farm animals are suffering miserable, short lives crammed in cages and crates on industrial factory farms across the world. They are denied a blade of grass, the sun and the stars. We need change for animals. End factory farming https://www.conservativeanimalwelfarefoundation.org/blogs/world-farm-animals-day-2026/

29/09/2026

‘The real cost of cheap chicken?
UK taxpayers are footing the bill for poultry disease outbreaks, despite biosecurity breaches on some farms’

UK taxpayers are footing the bill for poultry disease outbreaks, despite biosecurity breaches on some farms.

29/09/2026

28/09/2026

Frankenchickens are fast-growing chickens bred to reach slaughter weight in just a few weeks. Many suffer painful leg and bone problems, struggling to move, lameness and heart failure. A shift to slower-growing breeds gives birds more time to develop and can improve their welfare. End the use of Frankenchickens

24/09/2026

Mass Lobby Day 2026 - Here's your chance to stand up for frankenchickens, in person, in Parliament.
This November, you have the chance to be part of something big.

Our friends at UK Voters for Animals are bringing voters from every corner of the country to Parliament for their annual Mass Lobby Day, on Tuesday 10 November 2026. This year they're campaigning to end the use of fast-growing frankenchickens.

Sign up here: Mass Lobby Day for Farmed Animals: 10th November 2026: https://tally.so/r/EkZjDA

Every year, over a billion chickens are raised for meat in the UK. The vast majority are fast-growing frankenchickens: birds bred to grow so fast their legs and hearts can't keep up. Many suffer from birth to slaughter.

In its Animal Welfare Strategy, the government said it wants to support a move away from these breeds. But it hasn't said what that transition would actually look like: no detail, no milestones, no dates. The Mass Lobby Day will hold the government to account and push for a concrete plan.

Read more about the Mass Lobby Day: Mass Lobby Day 2026: https://tally.so/r/EkZjDA

The idea is simple and powerful. You meet your own MP in person, in the halls of political power, alongside constituents from across the country making the same case.

MPs answer to the people who elect them, and when they hear the same message from voter after voter on the same day, it becomes impossible to ignore.

We want this November 10th to be the biggest lobby day for farmed animals the UK has ever seen.

Be in the room. Sign up for UK Voters for Animals Annual Mass Lobby Day here: Mass Lobby Day for Farmed Animals: 10th November 2026 https://www.ukvotersforanimals.org/lobby-day-2026

Want to learn more? Attend the webinar:

If you want to learn more about the Mass Lobby Day, then join the webinar on Thursday 24 September to learn how to make the most of your MP meeting. Register for the date:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/GxoSV0v4Qzm9PoF1wWr3dg #/registration

21/09/2026

Good news- the Welsh Government released a consultation today proposing a statutory closed season for hares to protect them during their breeding season:

‘The proposed Wild Animal Welfare (Wales) Bill would introduce two targeted measures to address specific animal welfare concerns relating to seals and hare in Wales: it would establish a statutory close season during which it would be unlawful to intentionally or recklessly kill, injure or take hare and introduce a new offence of intentional or reckless disturbance of seals.

These proposals are intended to address identified gaps and inconsistencies within the current legislative framework and ensure Wales continues to maintain high standards of animal welfare. They would form a focused first stage of a wider programme of work to improve the accessibility and coherence of wildlife legislation in Wales.

Through this consultation we are seeking views on the proposals, including their implementation, potential impacts, costs, benefits and any unintended consequences.

The responses received will help inform Welsh Government's consideration of whether to take the proposals forward.’

https://www.gov.wales/wild-animal-welfare-white-paper-html