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Animal Welfare Act The Animal Welfare Act introduces a duty of care on owners and keepers of all vertebrae animals to ensure the welfare of animals in their care. The Act is accompanied by a set of Explanatory notes. It now means that, where necessary those responsible for enforcement of welfare laws can take action if an owner is not taking all reasonable steps to ensure the welfare of their animal, even if the animal is not suffering.
What does the Animal Welfare Act do?
It makes owners and keepers responsible for ensuring that the welfare needs of their animals are met.
These include the need:
The law also increases to 16 the minimum age at which a person can buy an animal and prohibits giving animals as prizes to unaccompanied children under this age. Anyone who is cruel to an animal, or does not provide for its welfare needs, may be banned from owning animals, fined up to £20,000 and/or sent to prison. Defra has produced the following leaflet about the Act which can be downloaded here:
 Codes of Practice
The Act allows Government to issue Codes of Practice which give practical advice to owners and others responsible for animals on how they can ensure that their animals’ welfare needs are met.
Wales is the first country within Great Britain to produce Codes of Practice for companion animals under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Scottish equivalent, with Codes from England and Scotland to follow shortly. As with people, animals' needs vary greatly, therefore the Codes of Practice were not written as "one-size-fits-all" guidance. The Welsh Assembly Government has worked in conjunction with animal welfare specialists across Great Britain to create Codes of Practice that give practical advice to help owners and keepers to understand the welfare needs of their animals , which they are legally obliged to fulfil. The Welsh Code of Practice for Cats can be dowloaded here:
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