Pet cruelty 'deserves stiffer penalties': maximum punishment that an individual can receive for committing any of the offences listed by the act (which include causing an animal to suffer, arranging or attempting to arrange an animal fight or failing to ensure the welfare needs of an animal are met) is imprisonment for up to 51 weeks, a fine up to £20,000 or both, depending on the severity of the case.I feel that anyone who deliberately sets out to abuse, harm or torture an animal should be regarded as dangerous; if they cannot act with empathy and humane treatment towards an animal, then potentially, they may lack the capacity to act humanely towards a fellow human being, thus making them a danger to animals and humans alike. Equally, if any harm befalls an animal as a result of a human losing their temper, then who’s to say that human will not lose their temper with another human? humans pick on animals as they know they get away with it most of the time, in my eyes if you go out your way to take a defenceless animals life you deserve to be given a more harsher punishment. if the law was changed where harsher punishments could be given then they should just do it and make it a criminal offence, and i do believe that anyone who abuses a animal should be put on a list and kept on there for ever and be banned from ever owning any pet please sign and share. NO PET DESRVES THIS