Animal Welfare
The Animal Welfare Act 2006.
It is law that anyone who is responsible for
an animal has a "Duty Of Care" to take reasonable steps to ensure
that the animal's needs are being met.
This means that a person has to look after the
animal's welfare and ensure that it does not suffer. The Act
states that an animal's welfare needs include:
- A suitable environment
- A suitable diet
- The ability to exhibit normal behaviour patterns
- Any need it has to be housed with or housed apart from other
animals
- Protection from pain, suffering, injury or disease
Terms:
- Animal - any living creature with a vertebrae
(back bone)
- Responsible owner of the animal - a person in
charge of or looking after an animal, or the parent or guardian of
a person under 16 years old who is responsible for the animal.
Anything which occurs in the normal course of
fishing (including commercial fishing and angling) is exempted from
the Act. However, all fish for which a person is responsible
(such as pet fish, ornamental fish and farmed fish) will be
protected under the Act.
The law, like most laws, is a common informers
act. This means that anyone is allowed to bring a prosecution for
an offence. The RSPCA to committed to investigating offences
relating to cruelty or welfare of domestic animals. Wychavon
will enforce the act in certain cases, for example in respect of
its licensed establishments such as Pet Shops, boarding and
breeding kennels etc. In all cases of suspected cruelty issues
relating to pet animals the RSPCA should always be your first port
of call - Telephone 0300 1234 999.
DEFRA have published
guides to to welfare standards for the public - but
which would provide evidence to a Court in proceedings about
lack of welfare.
