View source for Animal Welfare Act 2006

[[Category:Animal law]]
[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[File:Animal Welfare Act 2006.pdf|alt=Animal Welfare Act 2006|thumb|'''Animal Welfare Act 2006''']]
The '''Animal Welfare Act 2006''' is the principal law in England and Wales that relates to animal welfare.<ref>[https://www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-welfare#:~:text=The%20Animal%20Welfare%20Act%202006%20is%20the%20principal%20law%20relating%20to%20animal%20welfare%2C%20protecting%20all%20vertebrate%20animals. Guidance Animal welfare] gov.uk</ref> It was introduced to promote the welfare of vertebrate animals, excluding those in the wild.<ref>[https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/45/crossheading/introductory#:~:text=it%20is%20not%20living%20in%20a%20wild%20state. Animal Welfare Act 2006] legislation.gov.uk</ref> The Act is significant as it introduced a new concept for pet owners and those responsible for domestic animals, such as breeders and those who have working or farm animals.<ref name=":0">[https://www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/endcruelty/changingthelaw/whatwechanged/animalwelfareact Animal Welfare Act] RSPCA</ref>

The Act places a duty of care on people to ensure they take reasonable steps to meet the welfare needs of their animals to the extent required by good practice.<ref name=":0" /> This means that they must provide for the [[Five Freedoms|five welfare needs of the animals]], which are:

# Need for a suitable environment
# Need for a suitable diet
# Need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns
# Need to be housed with, or apart, from other animals
# Need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease

The Act allows enforcement agencies and inspectors to act by advising and educating owners before their pets suffer.<ref name=":0" /> If this advice is not followed or the animal’s needs are not being met, then action can be taken, whether through a formal warning or in some cases a prosecution.<ref name=":0" />

== See also ==

* Newshound: [https://wikianimal.org/news/p/i/?a=normal&get=f_70 Animal Welfare Act 2006]
* Animal Hub: [https://wikianimal.org/hub/s/animal-law/ Animal Law]

==External links==

* [https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/45/contents Animal Welfare Act 2006] GOV.UK
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20221223112131/https://www.animallaw.info/article/overview-uk-animal-protection-legislation#:~:text=The%20primary%20legislation%20pertaining%20to%20the%20protection%20of,%28Northern%20Ireland%29%202011%20Animals%20Protected%20Under%20the%20Legislation Overview of UK Animal Protection Legislation] Michigan State University College of Law

== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Animal law in the United Kingdom]]