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Animal Welfare Act 2006

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

Please note:

All reference to 'Parts' and 'sections' are from the Animal Welfare Act 2006. For other versions of these Explanatory Notes, see More Resources.

  1. Introduction

  2. Background

  3. Overview

  4. Territorial Extent

  5. Territorial Application: Wales

  6. Application to the Sea

  7. Commentary on Sections

    1. Introductory

      1. Section 1: Animals to which the Act applies

      2. Section 2: “Protected animal”

      3. Section 3: Responsibility for animals

    2. Prevention of harm

      1. Section 4: Unnecessary suffering

      2. Section 5: Mutilation

      3. Section 6: Docking of dogs’ tails

      4. Section 7: Administration of poisons etc.

      5. Section 8: Fighting etc.

    3. Promotion of welfare

      1. Section 9: Duty of person responsible for animal to ensure welfare

      2. Section 10: Improvement notices

      3. Section 11: Transfer of animals by way of sale or prize to persons under 16

      4. Section 12: Regulations to promote welfare

    4. Licensing and registration

      1. Section 13: Licensing or registration of activities involving animals

    5. Codes of practice

      1. Section 14: Codes of practice

      2. Section 15: Making and approval of codes of practice: England

      3. Section 16: Making of codes of practice: Wales

      4. Section 17: Revocation of codes of practice

    6. Animals in distress

      1. Section 18: Powers in relation to animals in distress

      2. Section 19: Powers of entry for section 18 purposes

      3. Section 20: Orders in relation to animals taken under section 18(5)

      4. Section 21: Orders under section 20: appeals

    7. Enforcement Powers

      1. Section 22: Seizure of animals involved in fighting offences

      2. Section 23: Entry and search under warrant in connection with offences

      3. Section 24: Entry for purposes of arrest

      4. Section 25: Inspection of records required to be kept by holder of licence

      5. Section 26: Inspection in connection with licences

      6. Section 27: Inspection in connection with registration

      7. Section 28: Inspection of farm premises

      8. Section 29: Inspection relating to Community obligations

    8. Prosecutions

      1. Section 30: Power of local authority to prosecute offences

      2. Section 31: Time limits for prosecutions

    9. Post-Conviction Powers

      1. Section 32: Imprisonment or fine

      2. Section 33: Deprivation

      3. Section 34: Disqualification

      4. Section 35: Seizure of animals in connection with disqualification

      5. Section 36: Section 35: supplementary

      6. Section 37: Destruction in the interests of the animal

      7. Section 38: Destruction of animals involved in fighting offences

      8. Section 39: Reimbursement of expenses relating to animals involved in fighting offences

      9. Section 40: Forfeiture of equipment used in offences

      10. Section 41: Orders under section 33, 35, 37, 38 or 40: pending appeals

      11. Section 42: Orders with respect to licences

      12. Section 43: Termination of disqualification under section 34 or 42

      13. Section 44: Orders made on conviction for reimbursement of expenses

      14. Section 45: Orders for reimbursement of expenses: right of appeal for non-offenders

    10. Scotland

      1. Section 46: Effect in Scotland of disqualification under section 34

      2. Section 47: Deprivation orders in connection with offence under section 46(2)

      3. Section 48: Seizure orders where disqualification breached: Scotland

      4. Section 49: Appeals against deprivation orders and seizure orders

      5. Section 50: Deprivation orders, seizure orders and interim orders: offences

    11. General

      1. Section 51: Inspectors

      2. Section 52: Conditions for grant of warrant

      3. Section 53: Powers of entry, inspection and search: supplementary

      4. Section 54: Power to stop and detain vehicles

      5. Section 55: Power to detain vessels, aircraft and hovercraft

      6. Section 56: Obtaining of documents in connection with carrying out orders etc.

      7. Section 57: Offences by bodies corporate

      8. Section 58: Scientific research

      9. Section 59: Fishing

      10. Section 60: Crown application

      11. Section 61: Orders and regulations

      12. Section 66: Transition

      13. Schedule 1- Regulations under section 13

      14. Schedule 2 - Powers of entry, inspection and search: supplementary

  8. Concluding Sections

    1. Commencement

  9. Hansard References

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

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Explanatory Notes

Text created by the government department responsible for the subject matter of the Act to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Public Acts except Appropriation, Consolidated Fund, Finance and Consolidation Acts.

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