STOURBRIDGE, UK. October 8th, 2026 – With almost 190,000 people backing its call for change, CatsMatter is urging Parliament to reconsider why cats remain outside the legal reporting requirements that apply to several other animals involved in road collisions. The issue comes into focus ahead of World Animal Road Accident Awareness Day on 10 October, as the organisation argues that public attitudes towards companion animals and the evidence surrounding road accidents have moved on.
Founded by CatsMatter, the annual awareness day encourages people to consider the dangers animals face on roads, adopt safer driving habits and remember those killed or injured in traffic incidents. Animal welfare groups around the world now use the occasion to promote awareness and prevention.
The consequences of a road collision involving a cat can extend far beyond the initial impact. A 2022 Early Day Motion cited Petplan data suggesting that approximately 230,000 cats are struck by vehicles in the UK each year. For those that survive the collision, prompt veterinary attention can make the difference between recovery and further suffering.
The issue will be debated in Parliament on 26 October following the success of e-petition 750612. Securing 189,192 signatures, the CatsMatter-backed petition is the largest cat welfare petition in parliamentary history. It calls attention to the absence of a requirement to report collisions involving cats, despite existing provisions covering horses, cattle, asses and mules, sheep, pigs, goats and dogs.
Mandy Hobbis, spokesperson for CatsMatter, said: “Every day, families receive the phone call they dread, or never receive one at all. For many owners, the hardest part is not knowing what happened to their cat or whether help could have arrived in time. The public increasingly sees cats as family members, and it is reasonable to ask whether current road traffic law reflects that reality. With compulsory cat microchipping now in place, Parliament has an opportunity to reconsider assumptions that may have made sense decades ago but deserve re-examination today.”
The House of Commons Library briefing sets out the Government’s longstanding explanation for the animals covered by Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. According to this position, the listed animals were included because they were traditionally viewed as working animals, rather than domestic companions.
CatsMatter believes that the historical explanation merits closer examination in light of the role cats continue to play in agriculture.
Research from the University of Bristol in 2018 found that 65% of farms in its sample kept cats, with a median of two per farm. Applying a lower assumed prevalence of 30% across England to recent DEFRA farm statistics produces an estimate of around 59,940 working farm cats, mainly employed in rodent control.
CatsMatter’s estimate for working sheepdogs is approximately 65,109 across England, based on DEFRA sheep farm data and assumptions about the proportion of farms using working dogs. Other working dog categories, including police, military and assistance dogs, also exist but are comparatively limited in number relative to farm working dogs.
The organisation says the similarities between these estimated populations raise a question about the rationale for recognising dogs in road collision legislation while leaving cats outside its scope. CatsMatter believes working cats should be considered as part of that discussion.
The group has raised a separate concern about the suggestion that drivers may not realise they have hit a cat. A 2023 Hungarian study examining animal-vehicle collisions found that uncertainty arose in only 2.3% of pet collision cases. CatsMatter considers this evidence relevant when assessing whether reporting requirements would be practical.
The research was sent to the Department for Transport on 1 September 2026. On 14 September, the Department responded that the submission was being examined in detail ahead of the debate.
CatsMatter welcomes the Government’s work to address problems with identifying cats after road collisions and reuniting them with their owners. Research has been commissioned into the operational difficulties that can prevent animals from being returned to their families.
The organisation nevertheless believes that the question of mandatory reporting requires separate consideration. It says it has no visibility of an equivalent Government assessment examining whether a legal reporting obligation could help more injured cats receive treatment or make it easier for owners to locate missing pets.
For CatsMatter, the parliamentary debate is an opportunity to consider the potential benefits of changing the law, including improved access to veterinary care and better reunification outcomes.
The question is whether modern evidence and public expectations now justify extending Section 170 reporting requirements to cats.
Alongside the campaign for legal change, CatsMatter volunteer strategist David Gibson is working towards a more coordinated way for people to find emergency assistance for animals. He describes the concept as the beginnings of what could become a “999 for animals”.
Gibson said: “Drivers should not be spending time frantically searching online at the roadside for someone who can assist whilst an animal is fading away. The public often has no clear understanding of who to contact, while responsibility is spread across a patchwork of charities, rescues, veterinary providers, councils and emergency services.”
Gibson says the fragmented nature of the current system can leave members of the public struggling to identify the right organisation when time matters. He believes better coordination and straightforward signposting could reduce delays and avoidable suffering without duplicating the work of existing charities, veterinary providers or emergency services. His vision is a gateway service that connects people with the appropriate help rather than a new emergency response organisation.
To support engagement with stakeholders, Gibson has incorporated Animal Emergency Service Ltd (AES), a mission-locked organisation with a public-benefit purpose. Its objective is to improve access to information and coordination throughout the animal emergency ecosystem while operating independently and under accountable governance.
AES plans to introduce itself publicly through a crowdfunding campaign on 30 October, after the parliamentary debate. No Government funding is anticipated.
Hobbis concluded that “the UK public has made clear that they wish to see a modern legal duty for drivers to stop and assist if they are involved in a collision and it is safe to do so, a requirement already in place in jurisdictions such as Italy and Hong Kong.”
