Understanding Pet Laws

• Suffering – No animal should suffer unnecessarily, if your act causes suffering you could have committed an offence. This is the case if you permit someone else to cause suffering also.  Suffering is unnecessary if it could have been avoided or reduced.  Poisoning is an example of unnecessary suffering.
• Tail docking – This is an offence if it is not done for medical purposes. Both the owner and the person who removes the tail would be liable.  Tail docking is only allowed if it is done for a certified working dog and they are not more than 5 days old when the procedure takes place.  A vet is an appropriate person to certify a dog as a working dog.  There are only certain breeds that can be appropriately called working dogs – for instance, cocker spaniels.  If you knowingly mislead your vet about whether your dog will work you are also committing an offence.  The result of committing an offence is up to two years in prison and an unlimited fine.
• Cropping/docking ears – this is illegal in the UK. Breach of this provision can result in up to six months in prison and or an unlimited fine.
• Animal fights – any involvement in an animal fight is an offence – this includes, organising an event, receiving money for an animal fight, publicising an animal fight, bets on an animal fight or training animals to fight.
• Animal welfare requirements – animals must have suitable living environments, a suitable diet, be able to exhibit all normal behaviours i.e. cats scratching, need to live with or apart from other animals should be met i.e. some animals are sociable such as gerbils, animals must also be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease. Those not ensuring the welfare requirements are met could be fined up to £20,000, face imprisonment up to 51 weeks, have their pet taken away and be banned from owning pets in the future.
• Selling animals – no animals should be sold to children under 16 years old. This includes allowing children under 16 years of age to win an animal such as goldfish.  If an adult is present at the sale and you have reason to believe that the adult will take responsibility for the care of the pet, no offence is committed.
• Boarding establishments and breeders have additional laws and requirements placed on them.
• Fines and even imprisonment up to 5 years can result dependent on which offences are committed. Pets may also be removed from households if offences have been committed.  If a vet deems it necessary after the animal has been removed from the household, they may also be put to sleep.  Further, owners may be disqualified from having animals of their own in the future.

If you would like to read The Animal Welfare Act, please click the link.

• In public all dogs must wear a collar, with an ID tag attached. Working dogs (while they are at work) are exempt i.e. sporting dogs and guide dogs.  A dog without a collar and tag may be seized and treated as a stray.

If you would like to learn more about pet laws and read The Control Of Dogs Order, please follow the link.

• Pit Bull Terriers, Japanese Tosas, Dogo Argentinos & Fila Brazilieros – these dogs cannot be bred from, sold, advertised to be sold, or abandoned. It is also illegal to walk them in a public place without a lead and a muzzle.
• If the above is not complied with, the dogs can be seized and put to sleep. The owner can also be subject to a large fine and even imprisonment.
• Dangerous dogs can be classified under this act by breed or behaviours, therefore a dog can be deemed dangerous even if they are not a named breed.
• A dog is deemed to be ‘dangerously out of control’ if the dog injures any person or assistance dog. This applies to dogs both in public and in private residences.  A defence, in this case, is that the person entering the property was believed to be a trespasser, but the owner would have to prove this.  Those delivering post and other professionals visiting your house would not allow you to use the trespasser defence.
• If a person dies as a result of a ‘dangerous dog’ maximum is 14 years imprisonment. 5 years imprisonment is the maximum if a person is injured.  3 years is the maximum imprisonment term if a guide dog is injured.
• If there is a complaint that a dog is dangerous, whether or not they have injured anyone, a dog can still be classified as dangerous or out of control and the owner may be ordered to keep the dog on a lead and muzzled when in public.
• Dogs may be put to sleep if deemed dangerous.
• If any dog deemed to be dangerous belongs to a person under 16, the head of the household will instead be prosecuted.
• If dogs are deemed dangerous they should not be handled by anyone under the age of 16, and should be held securely on a lead with a well-fitting muzzle.

To read the Dangerous Dogs Act, simply follow the link.

• All dogs should be microchipped unless a vet deems it a health risk.
• Puppies must be microchipped before they go to their first home.
• Owners are required to keep microchip details up to date.
• A fine of up to £500 can be imposed if you do not carry out the above.

Follow this link to read The Microchipping Regulations.

• Dog barking can be deemed as nuisance behavior, if someone reports this to be the case you may be asked to stop your dog from barking, if you fail to do so your animals may be taken away.
• Dog fouling – Owners must pick up dog feces and use an appropriate bin to dispose of them. If there are no appropriate bins, you must return home with them and use your domestic bin.  Only disabled persons that have an exemption from this act do not commit an offense such as those registered blind, who are out with their guide dogs.  If an offense is committed you may receive a fixed penalty notice of up to £100 or a fine up to £1000 if prosecuted.

Would you like to know more?  Read the Environmental Protection Act here.

• Dogs must not cause stress to livestock, even if no injury occurs, chasing or barking at livestock is an offense. When walking through the countryside where animals may be grazing it is recommended to keep dogs on a lead.  Breaking this legislation can carry a fine of up to £1000, farmers also have permission to shoot dogs if they believe they are causing concern to livestock on their land.

Find The Countryside Code here.

• Drivers who injure an animal with any vehicle, including a bicycle must give their name and address to the owner or person in charge of the dog. If there is no person with the dog at the time, the person should self-report to the police within 24 hours of the incident.

Read The Road Traffic Act here.

• Dogs should be suitably restrained during travel so as not to distract or injure you or themselves if you have to brake quickly.

Find The Highway Code by following the link.

• Wales has banned electric shock collars, anti-bark collars, and collars linked to electric fences. Electric shock collars use harsh painful methods to train dogs.  It is The Grange Retreat’s view that these should also be banned in the UK and we are currently behind Wales in legislation.

• Some councils may have areas in which dogs must be on a lead, there will be signs to designate such areas.
• Councils have the right to create pet laws in designated spaces.