Oh man … finally! I was beginning to fear that this day would never come. The UK has finally taken the step to recognize Octopuses (or octopi or octopodes – yes, any of the three are correct) as sentient creatures. Now for those who don’t know, sentience is the capacity to have feelings such as pain, pleasure, hunger, thirst, warmth, joy, comfort, or excitement. And don’t worry, this legal recognition also extends to lobsters, crabs, crayfish, shrimp, prawns, squid, and cuttlefish.
It seems that the British government commissioned a report by the London School of Economics to amend the Animal Welfare Sentience Bill to include these creatures. Apparently, the previous laws concerning animal welfare only included vertebrates (animals with spines). This oversight had been roundly criticized by animal researchers and activists.
So now they are going to set things right. (Continue reading here.)