Animal Welfare Act 2006
| Act of Parliament | |
| 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 |
|
| 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| Text of statute as originally enacted | |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, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
The Animal Welfare Act 2006 (c. 45) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.[1]
Overview
It is the first signing of pet law since the Protection 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 c. 27), which it largely replaced.[2] It also superseded and consolidated more than 20 other pieces of legislation, such as the Protection of Animals Act 1934 and the Abandonment of Animals Act 1960.[2][3] The act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 outlaws tail docking of dogs for cosmetic reasons, with an exemption for "working" dogs, such as those used by the police, the armed forces or as service dogs.[5]
The act also has an offence to remove the scent glands of skunks kept as pets.[6]
Commencement
The following commencement orders have been made for this act:
- Animal Welfare Act 2006 (Commencement No. 1) (England) Order 2007 (SI 2007/499)
- Animal Welfare Act 2006 (Commencement No. 2 and Saving and Transitional Provisions) (England) Order 2007 (SI 20072711)
- Animal Welfare Act 2006 (Commencement No. 1) (Wales) Order 2007 (SI 2007/1030)
- Animal Welfare Act 2006 (Commencement No. 2 and Saving and Transitional Provisions) (Wales) Order 2007 (SI 2007/3065)
- Animal Welfare Act 2006 (Commencement No. 1) (Scotland) Order 2007 (SSI 2007/519)
See also
Notes
References
- ^ "The Animal Welfare Act 2006". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ a b c "Pet abuse law shake-up unveiled". BBC News. 14 October 2005. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Animal ethics: Animal welfare legislation". BBC Ethics. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ a b "BBC – Ethics – Animal Ethics: Animal Welfare Act". BBC. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Woman jailed over tail dockings". BBC News. 11 September 2007. Archived from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ Turner, Benjamin (5 June 2020). "'Apple-loving' pet skunk on the loose in a Cambridgeshire town". Cambridgeshire Live. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
External links
- The full text of Animal Welfare Act 2006 at Wikisource