Animal Welfare Act 2006: Difference between revisions

The Animal Welfare Act 2006

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to make provision about animal welfare; and for connected purposes.
Citation	2006 c 45
Dates
Royal assent	8 November 2006
History of passage through Parliament
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 (c 45) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Overview

It is the first overhaul of pet law since the Protection of Animals Act 1911, which it largely replaced. It also superseded and consolidated more than 20 other pieces of legislation, such as the Protection of Animals Act 1934 and the Abandonment of Animals Act 1960. The Act introduced the new welfare offence. This means that animal owners have a positive duty of care, and outlaws neglecting to provide for their animals' basic needs, such as access to adequate nutrition and veterinary care. It outlaws tail docking of dogs for cosmetic reasons, with an exemption for "working" dogs, like those used by the police, the armed forces or as service dogs.

The corresponding Act for Scotland is the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.

Sections

The Act is divvied up into several topics.

Section 1 defines an "animal" as a vertebrate (other than a human) from the sub-phylum vertebrata of the phylum chordata. A "protected" animal is defined in s2 as one that is either commonly domesticated or one that is, at the time being, under the control of a person.

Prevention of Harm

Offences include:

• causing a protected animal to suffer unnecessarily knowing it would suffer - s4(1)
• unreasonably allowing an animal in that person's care to suffer from somebody else - s4(2)
• mutilating an animal (except where destroying an animal in an appropriate and humane manner) - s5
• docking a dog's tail where prohibited - s6(1), s6(2), s6(3)
• shows a dog with an illegally docked tail at a dog show with fee-paying patrons - s6(9)
• administers a poison to an animal (or permits to be administered) - s7(1), s7(2)
• animal fighting - s8
  • causes an animal to fight
  • receives money from admission to or publicises an animal fight
  • provides information about an animal fight to another to enable or encourage attendance
  • makes a bet as to the outcome of an animal fight
  • takes part in an animal fight
  • trains an animal to take part in a fight
  • keeps any animal fighting premises
  • attends an animal fight (without lawful excuse)
  • possesses a recording of an animal fight that took place in the UK (without lawful excuse) with intent to supply
  • shows another person a recording of an animal fight that took place in the UK (without lawful excuse)

Section 68 - Commencement

The following orders have been made under this section:

• The Animal Welfare Act 2006 (Commencement No. 1) (England) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/499 (C. 20))
• The Animal Welfare Act 2006 (Commencement No. 2 and Saving and Transitional Provisions) (England) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/2711 (C. 105))

• The Animal Welfare Act 2006 (Commencement No. 1) (Wales) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/1030 (W. 97) (C. 43))
• The Animal Welfare Act 2006 (Commencement No. 2 and Saving and Transitional Provisions) (Wales) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/3065 (W. 262) (C. 120))

• The Animal Welfare Act 2006 (Commencement No. 1) (Scotland) Order 2007 (S.S.I. 2007/519 (C. 44))

References

• Halsbury's Statutes,