Animal Protection Agency

Come find us over on #bluesky same handle @apawild

"We have joined dozens of our fellow campaign groups and experts in calling on Defra to "reset" the Animal Welfare Act for its 20th anniversary. For APA, this means challenging current interpretations of 'unnecessary suffering' that allow animals like snakes and birds to be kept in enclosures where they cannot even stretch or fly. How can it be considered 'necessary' to confine animals in these conditions in pet shops merely for profit or entertainment?" vettimes.com/news/vets/exot…

Robert Gillan's ability to run an illegal pet shop from his home for six years is a stark example of how these under-the-radar businesses can evade detection while causing immense animal suffering: bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

Today, The Animal Law Foundation has written to the government alongside The League Against Cruel Sports and 60 other signatories who are calling on the government to put animals back into The Animal Welfare Act. Weak interpretation, poor enforcement and whole categories of animals excluded from protection mean that as it reaches its 20 year anniversary, the Act’s full potential has never been realised. Legal precedent is clear: profit and tradition cannot justify cruelty. It’s time for a reset. #AWA20 #AnimalProtection #AnimalLaw

Defra’s new Animal Welfare Strategy APA welcomes the commitment of @DefraGovUK in its Animal Welfare Strategy published today to improve the licensing regime and enforcement of animal activities. This is vitally important as exotic pet businesses continue to exploit vague "hobbyist" exemptions to trade wild animals over stalls in temporary markets - a practice known to cause significant suffering. We are, however, concerned about the Government’s silence on snake welfare. Defra needs to listen to its own experts - namely the Animal Welfare Committee’s (AWC) expert recommendation that snakes must be able to stretch to their full body length. Snakes are the only vertebrate animals legally denied this basic need. gov.uk/government/pub…

Click click gone! Frame by frame, extinction event captured by perpetrators. There is a tragic irony in the way humans interact with the wild: hunting for beauty with cameras, then destroying it in the process. The disappearance of the Galaxy Frog in India is a direct result of human entitlement—the belief that the "right" to profit from wild animals justifies their destruction. #ecocide #wildlifecrime #NaturePhotography theguardian.com/environment/20…

This year’s CITES conference delivered positive updates for some wildlife species, with stronger protections agreed for certain reptiles, mammals and birds deemed under ‼️severe‼️ threat by the pet trade.

Great work by the RSPCA in one of the biggest exotic animal cases they have investigated! Over 1,800 animals were rescued including snakes, lizards, tortoises suffering in cold, filthy and cramped conditions. Tragically nearly 400 animals were beyond saving. The unlicensed animal dealer was handed a suspended sentence and disqualified from keeping animals for 16 years. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

APA has almost finished compiling evidence of illegal animal trading at the reptile market held at the Norbreck Castle Hotel in Blackpool on 10 August 2025. Even though the event was poorly attended, commercial animal sellers were out in force as usual. facebook.com/APAWild

Norbreck Castle to host event where creatures are housed in inhumane, cramped & unclean conditions. Or as Britannia Hotels describes it -‘a luxury suite’. pressat.co.uk/releases/despe…

Desperate reptile market organiser washes up at Norbreck Castle Hotel, Blackpool. #AnimalWelfare #Blackpool pressat.co.uk/releases/despe…

We're absolutely delighted to confirm that the large-scale reptile market previously scheduled for 22nd June 2025 has been cancelled by the Woodbank Garden Centre & Nurseries!! pressat.co.uk/releases/garde…

Thank you to Bradford City Councils Officers and elected members who sent a clear signal that animal welfare is a priority. Woodbank Garden Centre should also be commended for cancelling the event. We will remain a thorn in the side of reptile markets, as long as these outdated practices continue. #AnimalWelfare

Garden centre digs itself into a hole over reptile market. pressat.co.uk/releases/garde…

The insidious growth of the reptile trade is largely due to the fact that breeders and dealers have been allowed to house their animals in these barbaric conditions. veterinary-practice.com/article/rackin…