Motorists could be slapped with £10,000 penalty for driving offences under new proposals

Currently, the island does not have specific rules in place which require drivers to report hitting household animals, unlike other regions.

However, a popular petition, which has already amassed hundreds of signatures, could prompt the island to change its mind.

Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailingmotoring@gbnews.uk

The petition has called on the Guernsey Government to follow similar rules in place across Jersey, which passed the law in 2021.

Under the amended Road Traffic Law, drivers in Jersey must report hitting a cat on the road to either the owner of the cat, the Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or the police if an accident happens.

The call for action has already received more than 500 signatures since its launch on May 29, with the Guernsey Assembly urged to respond.

The petition launched by Kayleigh Mills stated: "The law requires a driver to report any collision with a horse, cow, ass, mule, sheep, pig, goat, or dog but there is no requirement to report a collision with a cat (sections 8 and 14 of the Road Traffic (Guernsey) Ordinance 2019)."

Mills explained in the petition that pets "are cherished members of the family, offering companionship and unconditional love".

The petition called on the Government to change the law to make motorists report collisions, which would ensure that cats have timely veterinary care, as well as letting the family know what has happened to their pet.

Currently, drivers in Guernsey are only required to report hitting certain animals including dogs, horses, cows, asses, mules, sheep, pigs or goats.

Steve Byrn, manager at the Guernsey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, explained that on average every year the association helps between 150 and 200 cats hit by vehicles on roads every year.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Electric car adoption rates blamed as EDF buys EV charging operator Pod Point for just £10m
• 'World's largest crash test' sees eight vehicles smashed into lorry at high speeds for TV experiment
• Chinese-owned car brand to axe popular model in bid to go all-electric - 'End of an era'

In one year, however, the number rose to a whopping 300 with as many as five needing help in just one night shift, the charity detailed.

Byrne warned that many cats are deceased on arrival or "even within seconds of being hit, but when they are hit, there is no law in place for those that have caused the injured or deceased animal to report it".

He said: "Thankfully, most are helped, but there are incidents when they are not, which can cause unnecessary suffering to the cat that, if still alive, will likely be in much pain."

Reaction to the petition has already been growing on social media, with many residents backing the move to safeguard the household pet.

One person shared: "Unfortunately, a huge number won’t even know. They often run straight into a tyre, and the driver doesn’t go over them, but the force has made them bounce back and often kill.

"I pick up road traffic accident cats very often, and it is mostly head injuries for this very reason."

Despite this, they warned that a "petition wouldn’t solve that" as "99 per cent of the time" someone calls the GSPCA emergency line or brings it to the shelter "in the hope we can let the owner know".

Dr Lloyd told the BBC: "You've got to stop for a lot of things, I appreciate that cats being cats are possibly more likely to be run over than other animals, but that doesn't make them any less an animal."