PUTTING ANIMALS

BACK INTO

THE ANIMAL WELFARE ACT

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.

These key pieces of legislation were created to protect animals from a whole host of maltreatment, one of those protections being from unnecessary suffering. These Acts also placed a proactive responsibility on the keeper of an animal to meet their welfare needs.

Yet over time, the law has shifted away from its core purpose, bending too often to commercial interests rather than safeguarding the animals themselves.

We are working with organisations across the sector to remind the governments of Great Britain to put animals back into the Animal Welfare Act and Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act and ensure that the protections for animals provided in law, are realised in practice.

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 and The Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 create the main legal framework to protect animals in Great Britain.

Under these Acts, owners and keepers have a duty of care towards animals under their care and must make sure they meet their needs, these include:

  • a suitable environment

  • a suitable diet

  • to exhibit normal behaviour patterns

  • to be housed with, or apart from, other animals

  • to be protected from pain, injury, suffering and disease

The Acts also prohibit animal cruelty, which includes causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

Anyone who does not comply with the Acts may:

  • be banned from owning animals

  • face an unlimited fine

  • be sent to prison for up to 5 years

Key weaknesses in the Acts

Misinterpretation of “unnecessary suffering”. Practices such as selective breeding of chickens for unnaturally rapid growth or dogs and cats for extreme appearances, and the use of animals in sport or entertainment that compromises welfare, continue for profit or tradition. Yet legal precedent is clear: financial gain cannot justify cruelty. That strong moral standard has been eroded.

Case study

The use of fast-growing chickens in modern farming. Chickens are selectively bred to reach slaughter weight in just five to six weeks, these birds grow so fast that many struggle with painful leg disorders, heart failure, and respiratory issues simply because their growth rate outpaces the development of their bones and organs. This suffering is not necessary, but exists simply for commercial gain.

Failure to enforce welfare needs. Animals are legally entitled to a suitable environment, diet, social contact, and the ability to express natural behaviour. Many farmed and companion animals live in conditions that fail these basic standards, from an inability to express normal behaviours with snakes unable to stretch and birds unable to fly to unsuitable environments with pigs and chickens confined in cages and social animals, such as rabbits and guinea pigs, being kept in isolation.

It’s time to press the reset button

As the English government works on its Animal Welfare Strategy for England for the next three years and the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission reviews the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act, there is a real opportunity to challenge how the law is being interpreted and applied, and to demand that it works as it was always intended to.

Weak interpretation and inconsistent enforcement have allowed widespread and avoidable suffering to continue and welfare needs not being met.

The government’s Animal Welfare Strategy sets out various commitments such as phasing out cages and improving welfare across sectors. Legal interpretation and powers under the Animal Welfare Act will be the tools to implement many of these commitments.

Coalition work

Led by The Animal Law Foundation and the League Against Cruel Sports, a major coalition of animal protection organisations, lawyers and academics are calling on the UK Government to urgently reset how the law is interpreted and applied, warning that millions of animals are still suffering unnecessarily despite existing legal protections.

In an open letter to the government written by The Animal Law Foundation and supported by over 60 signatories, including organisations, leading legal professionals, veterinarians and animal welfare scientists, it is argued that the Animal Welfare Act was a landmark piece of legislation when it was introduced, but that its full potential has never been realised.

You can also join our call on social media by sharing this video on any platform: