The majority of us love our pets and want to ensure that we take the best possible care of them. However, it can sometimes be difficult to know your exact legal obligations as an animal owner. Animal welfare legislation states that you must take the appropriate steps to ensure that your pet is happy, healthy and safe – but what does this actually involve? We’ve put together a helpful summary below to help you understand the legalities of animal care.
The Animal Welfare Act 2006 (England and Wales) states that pet owners are responsible for ensuring that the needs of their animals are met. Under this animal welfare legislation, your role as a pet owner means you are legally required to cover the following five areas:
1) Making sure your pet has a suitable living environment (e.g. enough space to be comfortable and happy).
2) Ensuring a healthy and appropriate diet for your pet – this may depend on their size, breed and other factors.
3) Allowing them to behave as they naturally would (e.g. taking your dog out for regular walks to ensure they get exercise).
4) Making sure they are put into a home that is suitable for them – either with or without other animals, depending on the social nature of your animal and any past experiences they may have had.
5) Ensuring your pet is in good health and does not suffer from pain, injury or disease.
The consequences of not adhering to the animal welfare legislation can be very serious. Having a pet is a huge responsibility, and failure to properly care for your animal can result in a number of penalties, depending on how serious the violation is. These may include: a lifetime ban from owning an animal, a hefty fine (of up to £20,000) and, in more serious cases, a prison sentence.
The fifth major point involved in animal welfare legislation – ensuring that your pet does not suffer any harm – is particularly important in relation to treating your pet. Using home remedies to treat your pet can be very dangerous, especially if you are unsure of their exact injury, illness or condition. Doing so can result in a violation of the Animal Welfare Act. There are some exceptions, particularly in relation to treating minor cuts and administering emergency life-saving first aid. However, we would always recommend taking your pet to see the vet to ensure they get the right diagnosis and treatment.