Animal law came into the spotlight recently with a new law to protect animals and make owners legally liable for their pets’ welfare. The Animal Welfare Act will make owners legally liable for their pets’ welfare and is the first major overhaul of pet law in 94 years. It includes huge fines and a possible jail term for those who don’t look after their pets. However, there is a whole host of legislation for those keeping dangerous animals. The keepers of dangerous wild animals as defined in the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 need to obtain a licence from their local authority and be over 18.
What about dangerous dogs?
Other laws concerning animals include the Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991 which have specific criteria for certain breeds of dog such as pit-bull terriers and Japanese Tosa. These may not be kept unless a certificate of exemption has been granted to the particular animal. To obtain this, the dog must, amongst other stipulations, be neutered, insured, muzzled and on a lead. Princess Anne was the most famous person to fall foul of this act when she became the first member of the Royal Family to have a criminal record when her dog bit two children in Windsor Great Park. She was fined £500 and the dog was later destroyed.
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