Animal Welfare Act 2006

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Animal Welfare Act 2006 [a]
Act of Parliament
Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (variant 1, 1952-2022).svg
Parliament of the United Kingdom
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Text of statute as originally enacted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

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 (c. 45) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. [1]

Contents

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 [2] It also superseded and consolidated more than 20 other pieces of legislation, such as the Protection of Animals Act 1934 and the Abandonment of Animals Act 1960.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]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Section 69.
  2. ↑ Section 67.
  3. ↑ Section 68.

References

  1. ↑ "The Animal Welfare Act 2006". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Pet abuse law shake-up unveiled". BBC News . 14 October 2005. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  3. ↑ "Animal ethics: Animal welfare legislation". BBC Ethics. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  4. 1 2 "BBC – Ethics – Animal Ethics: Animal Welfare Act". BBC. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  5. ↑ "Woman jailed over tail dockings". BBC News. 11 September 2007. Archived from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  6. ↑ Turner, Benjamin (5 June 2020). "'Apple-loving' pet skunk on the loose in a Cambridgeshire town". Cambrdigeshrie Live. Archived from the original on 3 September 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
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