What's happening?

In London, leaders are deciding on a new law. It is all about what kind of animals we protectLook after or save.. And it affects how we protect them. 

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At the moment, the law only protects certain animals. This includes mammalsWarm blooded animals where the female gives birth to live young. like cows and sheep. Birds and fish are also protected.

This is because experts have agreed these creatures are sentientAble to perceive or feel things.. It means they can feel pain and notice things. 

But some argue we have not got it right. Other animals have feelings too. For example, lobsters. They are not protected, but many people say they should be. They argue we should not be allowed to cook them in cruel ways. 

Octopuses are not protected either. But many scientists agree that they feel things just as people, dogs or fish. They say the laws should help them all. 

Are we creating a pointless legal tangle?

Some say

Yes! Laws should be based on facts. We will never really know what it is like to be any of these creatures. Instead of making rules based on guesses, we should ban cruelty to all animals. Nobody needs a lobster cooked alive - that is pointless and cruel! 

Others think 

Not really. We have to draw a line. If we protected all animals equally, it would be illegal to kill a wasp. If a fly was squashed on a car windscreen, the driver might get in trouble. We are learning more about animals. Let's make laws based on the science!