요약
The Animal Welfare Act 2006 is the principal statute protecting animal welfare in England and Wales. It replaced much of the outdated Protection of Animals Act 1911. The Act creates criminal offences for causing unnecessary suffering to animals and imposes a positive duty of care on anyone responsible for an animal.
핵심 포인트
- Section 4: offence of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal
- Section 9: duty of care — a person responsible for an animal must ensure its needs are met (suitable environment, diet, ability to exhibit normal behaviour, housed with/apart from other animals, protected from pain/suffering/injury/disease)
- Section 34: power to make regulations on specific welfare issues (e.g., tail docking, mutilations)
- Sections 18-21: powers of entry, inspection, seizure, and forfeiture of animals
- Section 33: disqualification from keeping animals upon conviction
- Maximum penalty increased to 5 years' imprisonment by the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021
- 'Protected animal' means any animal (vertebrate other than humans) that is commonly domesticated, under the control of man, or not living in the wild (s.2)
편과 조
개정 이력
2021 — Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021
Increased maximum sentence from 6 months to 5 years' imprisonment.