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Animals and farming
Helpful information on the advertising rules for activities, products and services relating to animals or farming.
We know that the public are very passionate about animal welfare. Advertisers must ensure they prepare any ads involving, or depicting, animals in an appropriate way under our harm and offence rules. They must also be careful not to over-exaggerate and mislead consumers when it comes to advertising organic foods or referring to animal testing in ads.
Advertisers shouldn’t claim that animals raised organically are better provided for than they are. Absolute statements regarding animal welfare or any claims regarding farming methods must be backed up by documentary evidence which should be available on request.
When it comes to making claims about “organic” foods or ingredients, it is important advertisers are aware of the legislation that underpins the ad rules in this area as there is an EU law that sets the minimum standards for these types of claims. Foods can’t be referred to as “organic” or “made with organic ingredients” unless they meet these standards and, furthermore, come from farmers, processors or importers who are registered with an approved certification body and are subject to regular inspections.
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- Issues and topics
- Animals and farming
Latest news
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Get the Green Light: four must do’s for sustainability claims
- CAP News
- 26 June 2025
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Off with your heads! Keeping within the rules in ads that reference the royals
- CAP News
- 12 June 2025
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Cat-egory: Animals in advertising
- CAP News
- 10 April 2025
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Avoid getting your reputation scrambled this Easter
- CAP News
- 10 April 2025
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Sowing the seeds of compliance: communicate your regenerative farming initiatives with confidence
- CAP News
- 07 November 2024
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Evidently, evidence is everything! Six tips on sound substantiation
- CAP News
- 08 August 2024
Latest rulings
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Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals t/a RSPCA
- Not upheld
- Poster, Television, Internet (video)
- 07 May 2025
A YouTube video, TV ad and poster didn't misleadingly represent the welfare standards afforded to animals farmed under the RSPCA Assured scheme.
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Montdog Ltd t/a Wild Pack
- Upheld
- Social media (own site)
- 16 April 2025
Two posts for dogfood company on their Instagram page featured videos of Geogia Toffolo made misleading claims that other pet food products posed significant health risks or led to chronic diseases, the provenance of ingredients in other pet food products and discredited or denigrated other competitors’ products.
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Petchip.Network
- Upheld
- Search (paid)
- 12 March 2025
Two paid-for Google search ads for Petchip.Network misleadingly implied they were an approved database to comply with the legal requirements for microchipping cats and dogs.
Help getting it right
Popular advice
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Animals: General
- AdviceOnline
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Animal testing and cosmetics
- AdviceOnline
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Alcohol: The use of cartoons, animals and characters
- AdviceOnline
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