| Act of Parliament | |
.svg) | |
| Long title | An Act to make provision about animal welfare; and for connected purposes. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 2006 c. 45 |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales[b] |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 8 November 2006 |
| Commencement | 8 November 2006 and onwards[c] |
| Other legislation | |
| Amends | |
| Repeals/revokes |
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| Relates to | Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 |
Status: Current legislation | |
| History of passage through Parliament | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
| Text of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, fromlegislation.gov.uk. | |
TheAnimal Welfare Act 2006 (c. 45) is anact of theParliament of the United Kingdom.[1]
It is the first signing of pet law since theProtection of Animals Act 1911 (1 & 2 Geo. 5. c. 27), which it largely replaced.[2] It also superseded and consolidated more than 20 other pieces of legislation, such as theProtection of Animals Act 1934 and theAbandonment of Animals Act 1960.[2][3] The act introduced the new welfare offence.[2]
This means that animal owners have a positive duty of care.[4] The act outlaws owners neglecting to provide for the basic needs of their animals, including access to adequate nutrition and veterinary care.[4]
It outlawstail docking of dogs for cosmetic reasons, with an exemption for "working" dogs, such as those used by the police, the armed forces or asservice dogs.[5]
The act also has an offence to remove the scent glands ofskunks kept as pets.[6]
The following commencement orders have been made for this act:
The full text ofAnimal Welfare Act 2006 at Wikisource
