Celebrities and Animals Asia Urge UK Government to Strengthen Animal Welfare Laws

British celebrities Stephen Fry, Ricky Gervais, and Chris Packham are joining forces with Animals Asia to call on the new UK government to enforce stronger animal welfare laws and to encourage Britons to report cruel tourist attractions abroad. The initiative comes as a new survey reveals that 33% of Brits—approximately 17.3 million people—have witnessed animal cruelty at tourist sites overseas, with 1.7 million of them saying it spoiled their holiday.

The campaign emphasizes the urgent need for the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act, which was passed last September but has yet to be fully implemented. This landmark legislation aims to ban British travel companies from promoting or selling tours to attractions that do not meet adequate animal welfare standards. However, the previous government failed to define which activities would be deemed unacceptable, leaving a significant gap in enforcement.

Chris Packham, a TV presenter and Animal rights advocate, criticized the lack of clarity in the law, stating, “It’s completely pointless to pass a law to protect animals if it doesn’t work in practice. Until the new government agrees on the list of activities that are banned, it’ll have no meaningful impact on preventing animal suffering around the world.  But thankfully British holidaymakers can still make a difference this summer with the power of the pound in their pockets.  Refusing to spend their money on tourist attractions where animals are suffering or exploited sends a clear message.”

The survey also highlighted that more than half of those who saw animal cruelty while traveling felt guilty, and nearly a third wanted to take action against it. Becky Kummer, who encountered animal suffering during a trip to Japan, shared her distressing experience and called for effective legislation to prevent such cruelty in the future.

Stephen Fry supported the campaign, noting that public opinion strongly opposes supporting tourist attractions where animals are mistreated. He urged the government to act swiftly to ensure these views are reflected in the law. Ricky Gervais echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the need for vigilance and reporting of cruelty. He criticized the previous government’s inaction and called for immediate implementation of the law to prevent further animal suffering.

Jill Robinson, CEO of Animals Asia, highlighted the charity’s ongoing efforts to rescue animals from cruel conditions and urged the new government to fully enforce the law. She stressed that British tourists can play a crucial role by reporting unethical attractions and supporting ethical tourism practices.

In addition to its advocacy, Animals Asia has provided practical tips for travelers, including researching animal welfare standards, avoiding attractions that exploit animals, and reporting poor conduct.

Please sign this petition to tell the Scottish government to stop tourists from feeding wildlife!

Related Content:

• Comedian Ricky Gervais Donates £1.9 Million to Animal Charities
• Ricky Gervais and Moby Call for Elephants to be Released From Zoos and Sent to Sanctuaries
• World Animal Protection Calls Out GetYourGuide for Animal Cruelty Concerns
• 12 Tips on Traveling and Vacationing Responsibly

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Adopt-a-Pet: Visit WildWatchers, a watchdog platform specifically designed for animal, earth, and wildlife warriors to actively give back, rescue, and protect animals and the planet.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade repeatedly.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!