What Pet Laws Are There In The UK?

\\\ Pet Laws

\\\ updated 6 December 2021

Pets Laws

Pet Rules

In The UK

There are a number of laws, rules, code of practice guidelines issued by the government in the UK covering the welfare rights of our beloved pets, trying to keep them safe and healthy. The laws cover England and Wales and mostly Scotland and Northern Ireland but whom may have a slightly different or additional cover. Pet Check provides a selection of the most usual.

Latest Pet Amendment News

New plans are expected to be introduced in the next year, 2022, including legislation in a number of bills, set to be approved by the government, including the Kept Animals Bill, the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill, and the Animals Abroad Bill. These will expand on the protections in the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

The most common amendment will be making cat microchipping a necessity where cat owners will need to ensure their cats are now microchipped. You can read more about microchipping your dog in Pet Check’s feature below, 5. Do I Have to Microchip My Dog?

Renting With Your Pet

November 2021 sees The Dogs and Domestic Animals (Accommodation and Protection) Bill being passed through Parliament. This hopes to provide more opportunities for those who rent and own pets to have more accommodation opportunities made available to them where they can show they have a Certificate of worthiness, approved by a vet, to provide landlords.

The Recent Queens Speech, 11 May 2021

The Recent Queens Speech, 11 May 2021 outlined the commitment to Animal Welfare with promoting the highest standards of animal welfare, [Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill, Kept Animals Bill, Animals Abroad Bill].

Other important Animal Welfare legislation is currently on the UK Home Secretary’s agenda reviewing microchipping of dogs and the possible extension to cats. Microchipping was made a legal action when the government bought in compulsory Microchipping, April 6, 2016. Fuller details are further below.

29 April 2021, the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act was signed into law after receiving Royal Assent, increasing the maximum penalty for certain offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 tenfold, from six months to up to five years.

Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021

The new maximum penalty will enable courts to take a firmer approach to cases such as dog fighting, abuse of puppies and kittens, illegally cropping a dog’s ears, and gross neglect of farm animals. As well as a prison sentence, offenders can also receive an unlimited fine. Read the government’s latest story about Animal Welfare Maximum prison sentence for animal cruelty raised to five years.

\\\ 6 most imPortant pet Laws

1. Banned Breeds

What Are Banned Dog Breeds?

Numerous newspapers and media reported almost daily attacks made on the public by savage dogs during the 1980s and early 1990s. Thankfully there are less reported incidents after The Dangerous Dogs Act was introduced in 1991 but remains a controversial piece of legislation.

What Is The Dangerous Dogs Act?

The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, Section 1, the law was extended in 2014 where it is against the law to let your dog be dangerously out of control, including public places, in a private place and the owner’s home applying to all dogs in the UK.

It banned especially ‘Control Dogs’ known as banned breeds.

Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 prohibits the ownership of four specific types of dog or the Dangerous Dogs (Northern Ireland) order 1983 or on any updates to that legislation.

The 4 dogs include –

Pit Bull Terrier
Japanese Tosa
Dogo Argentino
Fila Brasileiro

These dogs’ images are featured above. This law makes it illegal to own, sell, breed, give away or abandon any of these dog breeds. Insurers will not insure these dogs.

The UK Dangerous Dogs Act classifies dogs by “type” and not breed. The law doesn’t recognise a dog’s family tree or DNA, instead, the decision as to whether or not the dog is illegal is usually based upon physical characteristics alone. This can pose a threat to similar-looking breeds, which aren’t banned.

Pure breed Wolf Dogs are classed as Dangerous Wild Animals (DWA) in the UK so they need a licence and liability insurance. However, when you get down to third-generation (also known as F3) Wolf dogs, do not need a DWA licence so it is the same as owning any dog.

Is It The Dogs Fault?

There’s been a lot of controversies since the laws were introduced as to whether it is the dog’s fault or the owners where these animals have not been properly trained. Dog attacks still take place today and dog trainers are pushing for compulsory dog training of new dog owners.

The law can be misinterpreted where a dog, for example, may escape because it was startled by an alarm set off, or fireworks, and be in a neighbour’s garden running around. The neighbour can complain and report it as a dangerous dog which then leads to court intervention and the owner has to prove it is not a dangerous dog possibly having to obtain additional paperwork, an exception certificate.

Dogs that are taken in under this law by pet charities such as pit bull terriers are put to sleep according to the legislation and not re-homed. Read more about the government’s information ‘Controlling your dog in public’.

\\\ ID Tags

2. Do Pets Have To Wear ID Tags?

Before you step outside with your dog, your dog must be wearing its ID tag and collar. That has been a legal requirement since The Control of Dogs Order 1992 and needs to be worn on the pet’s collar or an ID tag before stepping outside of the home.

The ID should be engraved with information that can help anyone finding a lost dog to repatriate it quickly with the owner, including the name and address (including postcode) of the owner and telephone number is optional (but advisable).

This legislation became even more pertinent when in 2016 compulsory microchipping of dogs was introduced. The information that the dog is chipped, “I’m chipped” is engraved on their ID tags.

The fine is £5,000 if your dog does not wear an identification tag. There are several specialist websites offering a huge range of ID tags that can be personalized such as Pettagsuk.com. #Ad

\\\ Happy Healthy Pets

3. Keeping Your Pet Healthy And Happy

Animal Welfare Act 2006, section 9 provides owners with guidelines to the legal rights that domestic animals have.

The five welfare needs outlined by the Act are

live in a suitable environment
eat a suitable diet
exhibit normal behaviour patterns
be housed with, or apart from, other animals
be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease

Pet owners who fail to meet their pet welfare’s needs face prosecution, but more importantly, they can cause suffering to their pet where the responsibility falls on them in the home. Their actions could cause, for example, sickness, injury, and stress.

Pet owners can face court if their pets are not properly cared for and risk prison sentences and fines up to £20,000. The pet may be taken away from them or be banned from looking after animals and pets in the future.

Many of the UK’s animal charities work tirelessly trying to resolve these community problems caused by poorly treated animals and need constant funding to carry on their work, severely hampered now by less public funding due to the restraints of the recent pandemic. Read about Pet Charities.

The government has produced a 19 page PDF document called Code of Practice for the welfare of dogs and a 19 page PDF document called Code of Practice for the welfare of cats. Both serve as helpful leaflets to comply with the basic requirements that our most popular pets should be receiving in way of food, warmth, home environment, health, and care.

\\\ Pet Theft Reform

4. Pet Theft Reform

Amendment to animal welfare law to make pet theft a specific offence

The current Proposal set before British parliament is to amend the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to make pet theft a specific offence, distinct from that of inanimate objects; and in sentencing, the courts must consider the fear, alarm, or distress to the pet and owners and not just monetary value, presented by veterinarian, Dr. Daniel Allen.

The Petition ran for 6 months and closed with over the 100,00 required but nearly 145,000, signatures where the UK Parliament has now received consider for debate all petitions that get more than 100,000 signatures.

PET CHECK - BANNER - Home office Pet Theft

The Pet Theft Act Amendments have moved forward in September 2021.

The Government’s Pet Theft Task Force has now recommended the act is made a criminal offence in a report published 4 September 2021

Home Secretary Priti Patel has stated “Stealing a pet is an awful crime which can cause families great emotional distress while callous criminals line their pockets. The new offence of pet abduction acknowledges that animals are far more than just property and will give police an additional tool to bring these sickening individuals to justice”.

The Kennel Club has reported that 52% of dog thefts take place in gardens and The RSPCA recommends that owners do not leave animals outside shops and cars unattended as well as ensuring their gardens are dog-proofed, with high, secure fencing.

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Whats The Best Way To Find My Missing Pet?

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\\\ Microchipping

5. Do I Have to Microchip My Dog?

Missing pets were becoming a national problem with beautiful pets simply disappearing off our streets in their thousands.

April 6, 2016, the government bought in compulsory Microchipping laws trying to help to curb this problem, in England, Scotland, and Wales (with Northern Ireland having similar but different pet laws, microchipping being required by law since 2011), by all pet owners having to compulsory microchip their dogs. Cats were excluded from this law.

Failure to comply carries a £500.00 fine.

Dogs must be microchipped by the age of eight weeks old by their breeders and any new owners are responsible for updating the microchip’s details held on computer registers.

Dogs must not leave their homes without wearing a collar and ID tag and have been microchipped by the age of 8 weeks.

British Veterinary Association released a short video explaining how microchipping works and showed a favourite pet being ‘chipped.

GPS Pet Activity Tracking Devices

Additional GPS fixed trackers have gained much popularity where your pet can be tracked anywhere in the world at any time. These are particularly useful for more expensive breeds and animals or where an owner has problems with mischievous dogs disappearing whilst exercising.

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Is Microchipping A Legal Pet Requirement?

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Keep reading

\\\ Dog Poop

6. Who Has To Clean Up Dog Waste?

The Dog Fouling Act of 2016, places responsibility on “the person in charge of the dog” at the time of the misdemeanor.

More than 1,100 tonnes of dog waste is dropped a day and is a major problem. UK local councils are duty-bound to keep public areas like parks, playgrounds, and pavements clear of dog mess so impose fines on those who don’t clean up after their pet, by up to £80.00. Dedicated bins are provided for dog owners to pick up their dog’s mess and place this in the bins. In some council areas, you can be fined for forgetting to carry poo bags or pooper scoopers when out dog walking.

Whilst it is not such a physical problem in country areas, towns and cities do levy fines. It is illegal to leave dog waste in the majority of UK public places and parks, but you can avoid fines in agriculture and woodlands, rural common land, marshland, and motorways areas.

In the UK thousands of beaches are not excepted, where the majority are run by the local authorities, others may be privately managed.

The few exceptions made are for those who have mobility and disabilities, working dogs such as sheepdogs, and police dogs whilst on duty.

There’s a huge selection of dog poop bags including bio-degradable and fragranced, fitting every budget; purchase them from supermarkets, pet shops, general stores, online pet stores. Buy Dog Poop Bags And All Your Pet Supplies At Pet Check Store.

You can report dog fouling on this website link.

\\\ Proposed Laws And Reforms

Proposed Pet Law Amendments

There are currently proposals at the UK Parliament to ensure that end-of-life pet matters are tightened up after numerous failings by vets and authorities to contact the registered keepers of pets prior to euthanasia or where animals have been injured and would be disposed of without the owner’s knowledge. These are likely to be confirmed in Autumn 2021.

Tuk’s Law, which would make it mandatory for vets to scan cats and dogs for microchips before putting them down
Gizmo’s Legacy to make it mandatory to scan for microchips when a cat or dog is found dead by the roadside
Fern’s Law, which would require vets to microchip cats and dogs when brought into a vet practice for the first time

\\\ Rules And Codes

What Are Public Spaces Protection Orders?

The Home Office updated its guidance 2014, and some public areas in England and Wales are covered by Public Spaces Protection Orders called for short ‘PSPOs.’

PSPOs may mean that you have to keep your dog on a lead. Put the lead on your dog when certain authoritative people ask you, stop your dog to go to certain places such as farmland and beaches, limit the number of dogs you can walk, clear up their mess after you and carry a poop scoop and disposable bags. These responsibilities fall on the local councils to implement.

Most council websites have details of their PSPOs with exclusions such as streets that you may not walk your dog down, for example.

Some coastal councils do not impose dog walking beach time zones, allowing dogs to freely walk all year round.

The most noticeable improvement to regular parkgoers was the introduction of more stringent PSPOs where professional dog walkers cannot handle and walk more than six dogs in a park at a time with more city parks introducing council recognisable armbands that had to be worn for a fee payable to the council to allow them access to parks. This greatly helped the many public complaints of huge packs of dogs being walked at busy times spoiling times spent in the parks.

*Currently Scotland has not introduced PSPOs and Northern Ireland Local authorities use DCOs to restrict dog walkers and whether they can or can’t let their dogs off the leads.

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