A guide to laws concerning animals in the UK

In 2007, the Animal Welfare Act saw a review of pet abuse laws for the first time in more than 90 years. The previous law, the Protection of Animals Act, which had been passed in 1911, was replaced by the new law which came into place in England and Wales. The new Act had set about combining 20 pieces of legislation in order to tighten the laws around animal cruelty in the UK.

The Animal Welfare Act

What it stipulates
The Act of 2007 was far stricter than its predecessor in that it introduced fines of up to £20,000 for animal cruelty and neglect, and even threatened jail terms for offenders. It also carried with it the power to enforce lifetime bans on the owning of animals and protected pets from, for instance, having their tails docked or their ears cropped or being subjected to other cruel treatment.
What was the response
Although there was widespread satisfaction with the new laws, it was felt by some that they did not go far enough. Defra argued that the legislation was the toughest anti-animal cruelty statement to come before parliament in nearly a century, but Catholic Concern for Animals criticised the fact that the ban did not include farm animals, greyhounds or laboratory animals used for experiments.

Circus animals

Current situation
There is a strong resistance in the UK to the using of wild animals in circuses but apart from the Animal Welfare Act of 2007, there is not much that can be done to protect them. The RSPCA in the UK says that there are between 150 and 200 animals used in circuses, including zebras, lions, snakes, tigers, camels, a kangaroo and even crocodiles, and it is campaigning to get them removed.
Pressure for removal
Prime Minister David Cameron has come under pressure to make it illegal for circuses to use animals in the conduct of their business. The previous government was looking into banning the use of certain wild species in travelling circuses. In a statement in 2006, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Rural and Food Affairs, Ben Bradshaw, suggested going further with the Welfare Act. Meanwhile, the RSPCA suggests a recent poll shows that 94 per cent of respondents want a complete ban.