How the law got here
Animal welfare law in the United Kingdom, from the first statute regulating animal experiments to the provisions that commenced this year. Acts are shown when they were passed; where a specific provision has a commencement date, that is shown as its own event.
Last reviewed 22 August 2026. Every row links to legislation.gov.uk. Long titles are quoted verbatim where the register publishes one.
2020s
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came into force
Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024, sections 1 to 3
Using, supplying and possessing a glue trap are each offences. Section 5 allows Scottish Ministers to make regulations authorising use, supply or possession for the protection of public health where no other method of rodent control is practicable. Commenced by SSI 2026/127.
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licence issued
General Licence 002 (Natural Resources Wales)
Feral pigeon is the only species on GL002, which permits killing or taking the bird and taking or destroying its nests or eggs to preserve public health or public safety or prevent the spread of disease. Valid 1 January to 31 December 2026. Written records are recommended for three years, not required.
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licence issued
General Licence GL03/2026 (NatureScot)
Feral pigeon may be killed or taken, and nests and eggs damaged or destroyed, under general licence GL03/2026 for the preservation of public health and public safety and preventing the spread of disease. Valid 1 January to 31 December 2026.
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licence issued
General Licence GL41 (Natural England)
Feral pigeon may be killed or taken under GL41 to preserve public health or public safety, and nests and eggs may be taken, damaged or destroyed. Valid 1 January to 31 December 2026. No registration is required and actions taken do not have to be reported. For feral pigeon the licence permits a target-illuminating device and a sighting device for shooting, including shooting at night. Condition 1, requiring reasonable endeavours to achieve the purpose by alternative lawful methods, applies only to jackdaw in this version; in the licence issued 1 January 2024 and valid to 31 December 2025 it applied to feral pigeon as well. Condition 2 requires a quick and humane kill, which the licence defines as all reasonable precautions to ensure a single, swift action.
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licence issued
General Licence TPG1 (DAERA)
TPG1 permits an authorised person to kill or take feral pigeon and jackdaw to preserve public health or public safety. Issued under the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 and valid 1 January to 31 December 2026.
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came into force
Dangerous Dogs (Designated Types) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024, article 2
Article 2 designates the XL Bully for the purposes of Article 25A of the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983. DAERA states that safeguards came into operation on 5 July 2024, requiring a lead and muzzle in public and prohibiting sale, gift, exchange and breeding. Possession or custody is prohibited from 1 January 2025 unless an exemption certificate was applied for by 31 December 2024, or by 15 December 2024 for postal applications, under the Dangerous Dogs (Compensation and Exemption Schemes) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024.
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came into force
Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024, section 6
Section 6 amended the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to prohibit setting or using a snare to kill or take any animal other than a wild bird, and prevents a licence authorising snare use. Commenced by SSI 2024/267.
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came into force
Pet Abduction Act 2024, sections 1 and 2
Sections 1 and 2 create offences of dog abduction and cat abduction, carrying up to five years' imprisonment on conviction on indictment. The offence is committed only where the person and the animal are both in England or Northern Ireland at the time the animal is taken or detained. The sections came into force at the end of three months beginning with Royal Assent on 24 May 2024. Taking a pet also remains theft under the Theft Act 1968, for which the maximum is seven years.
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came into force
Pet Abduction Act 2024, sections 1 and 2
Sections 1 and 2 create offences of dog abduction and cat abduction, carrying up to five years' imprisonment on conviction on indictment. In Northern Ireland the sections came into force on a day appointed by DAERA by order; DAERA states that the offences applied from 24 August 2024. Section 4, which extends to Northern Ireland only, gives DAERA power to make corresponding provision for other animals commonly kept as pets.
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came into force
Dangerous Dogs (Designated Types) (Scotland) Order 2024, article 2
Article 2 designates the XL Bully for the purposes of section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. The Order came into force on 23 February 2024, from which date it is an offence to sell, advertise, gift or exchange an XL Bully, to let one stray, or to have one in a public place without a lead and muzzle. From 1 August 2024 possession is an offence unless the owner holds a certificate of exemption, or has applied for one, under the Dangerous Dogs (Compensation and Exemption Schemes) (Scotland) Order 2024.
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came into force
Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022, section 1
It is an offence to set a glue trap in England for the purpose of catching a rodent. Professional pest controllers may hold a licence issued by Natural England under the Glue Traps (Licensing) Regulations 2024. Commenced by SI 2024/686.
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came into force
Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023, regulations 3 and 4
Regulation 3 requires the keeper of a cat older than 20 weeks to have it microchipped and the keeper's contact details recorded on a compliant database. The provisions relating to cats came into force on 10 June 2024. Regulation 4 disapplies the duty for as long as a veterinary surgeon certifies, on a form approved by the Secretary of State, that the cat should not be microchipped for reasons relating to its health. The same regulations carry the dog requirement and revoked the Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations 2015.
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came into force
Dangerous Dogs (Designated Types) (England and Wales) Order 2023, articles 2 and 3
Article 2 designates the XL Bully for the purposes of section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, with effect from 31 December 2023. From that date it is an offence to breed from, sell, advertise, exchange, give away or abandon an XL Bully, or to have one in a public place without a lead and muzzle. Article 3 set 31 January 2024 as the last day for applying for a Certificate of Exemption, so possession without one has been an offence since 1 February 2024. Defra states that it will only process applications received by 31 January 2024.
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came into force
Dangerous Dogs (Designated Types) (England and Wales) Order 2023, articles 2 and 3
The Order applies to England and Wales, so the designation, the dates and the exemption conditions are identical to England's. Article 2 designates the XL Bully for the purposes of section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 with effect from 31 December 2023, and article 3 set 31 January 2024 as the last day for applying for a Certificate of Exemption.
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Act passed
Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024
Prohibited the export of certain livestock from Great Britain for slaughter.
Long title
An Act to prohibit the export of certain livestock from Great Britain for slaughter.
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Act passed
Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024
Snares prohibited from 25 November 2024; the glue trap offences commenced 1 July 2026.
Long title
An Act of the Scottish Parliament to make provision for the management of wildlife through the prohibition of glue traps and snares and regulation of other wildlife traps and the licensing of land on which certain birds are to be killed or taken; and for the licensing of the making of muirburn; and for connected purposes.
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came into force
Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023, section 46
Section 46 amended the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to prohibit setting in position or using any snare or other cable restraint in Wales. The section contains no licensing exception.
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came into force
Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023, section 46
Section 46 amended the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to prohibit setting in position or using a glue trap in Wales to kill or take any vertebrate other than a human. The section contains no licensing exception.
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came into force
Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023, section 14
It is an offence to engage or participate in trail hunting unless an exception under section 16 applies. Trail hunting is defined in section 14 as the activity in which a dog is directed to find and follow an animal-based scent laid for that purpose. Commenced by SSI 2023/262.
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Act passed
Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023
Section 46 prohibited snares and glue traps in Wales from 17 October 2023, the first such ban in the UK.
Long title
An Act of Senedd Cymru to make provision about sustainable land management; to make provision for and in connection with support for agriculture; to amend the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 and the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 in connection with resolution of disputes about agricultural tenancies; to make provision about matters relating to agriculture and agricultural products; to amend the Forestry Act 1967 in connection with tree felling licences; and to amend the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in connection with prohibitions relating to snares and traps etc.
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Act passed
Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023
Replaced the 2002 Act and, unlike the Hunting Act 2004, prohibits trail hunting expressly.
Long title
An Act of the Scottish Parliament to make provision about the prohibition of hunting wild mammals using dogs; to make provision about the prohibition of trail hunting; and for connected purposes.
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Act passed
Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022
Established the Animal Sentience Committee.
Long title
An Act to make provision for an Animal Sentience Committee with functions relating to the effect of government policy on the welfare of animals as sentient beings.
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Act passed
Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022
Commenced 31 July 2024. Applies to traps set to catch rodents; licensed pest controllers are exempt.
Long title
An Act to make certain uses of glue traps an offence; and for connected purposes.
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came into force
Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Wales) Regulations 2021
Licence conditions require that a puppy or kitten offered for sale was bred by the licence holder, which removes the commercial third-party seller from the chain. The regulations came into force on 10 September 2021.
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came into force
Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021, Schedule 7, paragraph 2(1)(a)
A licence holder must not advertise or offer for sale an animal that was not bred by the licence holder, with an exception for an animal over twelve months old acquired for breeding. The same schedule prohibits selling a puppy or kitten under eight weeks old or separating it from its mother before that age.
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Act passed
Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021
Raised the maximum penalty for the most serious offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Long title
An Act to make provision about the mode of trial and maximum penalty for certain offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
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came into force
Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, Schedule 6, paragraph 1(1)(a)
A licensed pet seller must not advertise or offer for sale a dog that was not bred by the licence holder. The condition was inserted by the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 and applies to sales made on or after 6 April 2020.
2010s
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Act passed
Wild Animals in Circuses Act 2019
Prohibited the use of wild animals in travelling circuses.
Long title
An Act to make provision to prohibit the use of wild animals in travelling circuses.
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Act passed
Ivory Act 2018
Prohibited dealing in ivory, subject to narrow exemptions.
Long title
An Act to prohibit dealing in ivory, and for connected purposes.
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came into force
Prohibited Procedures on Protected Animals (Exemptions) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2017, regulation 2
Docking a dog's tail is an offence under section 20 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006. Scotland allowed no exemption at all until these regulations came into force on 28 June 2017. The exemption covers spaniels and hunt point retrieve breeds and, unlike the rest of the United Kingdom, not terriers. Not more than the end third of the tail may be removed, the puppy must be five days old or less, and the veterinary surgeon must be shown evidence that the dog is likely to be used in connection with lawful shooting.
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came into force
Welfare of Animals (Docking of Working Dogs' Tails and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012
Docking a dog's tail is an offence under section 6 of the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 except where these regulations apply. The veterinary surgeon must be satisfied that the puppy is not more than five days old and that its dam is of a breed specified in Schedule 1 to the Act, and must be shown evidence that the dog is likely to work in connection with law enforcement, lawful pest control or the lawful shooting of animals.
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Act passed
Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011
Northern Ireland’s principal animal welfare statute.
Long title
An Act to make provision about animal welfare.
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came into force
Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) (Wales) Regulations 2010, regulation 2
It is an offence to attach an electronic collar to a cat or a dog, to cause one to be attached, or to be responsible for an animal wearing one. An electronic collar is defined as a collar designed to administer an electric shock. The regulations were made under section 12 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and carry up to 51 weeks' imprisonment, a fine at level 5 on the standard scale, or both.
2000s
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came into force
Docking of Working Dogs' Tails (England) Regulations 2007, Schedule 1
Docking a dog's tail is an offence under section 6 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 except where these regulations apply. A veterinary surgeon may dock a puppy of not more than five days old on being shown evidence that it is likely to work in connection with law enforcement, lawful pest control or the lawful shooting of animals. Schedule 1 covers hunt point retrieve breeds, spaniels and terriers of "any type or combination of type", so a cross-bred dog can fall within the exemption.
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came into force
Docking of Working Dogs' Tails (Wales) Regulations 2007, Schedule 1
Docking a dog's tail is an offence under section 6 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 except where these regulations apply. Schedule 1 names individual breeds of spaniel, terrier and hunt point retriever and adds "but not combinations of breeds", so a cross-bred dog is outside the exemption in Wales even where the same dog would be within it in England.
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Act passed
Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006
Scotland’s principal animal welfare statute.
Long title
An Act of the Scottish Parliament to amend the Animal Health Act 1981, including by making provision for preventing the spread of disease; to make provision for the welfare of animals, including for prevention of harm; and for connected purposes.
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Act passed
Animal Welfare Act 2006
Introduced the duty of care for kept animals and the unnecessary suffering offence relied on across the rest of this site.
Long title
An Act to make provision about animal welfare; and for connected purposes.
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Act passed
Hunting Act 2004
Does not prohibit trail hunting, which is the subject of a 2026 consultation.
Long title
An Act to make provision about hunting wild mammals with dogs; to prohibit hare coursing; and for connected purposes.
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Act passed
Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002
Prohibited hunting wild mammals with dogs in Scotland, two years before the equivalent statute in England and Wales. Repealed and replaced by the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023.
1990s
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Act passed
Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996
Created offences of intentionally inflicting specified acts on a wild mammal.
Long title
An Act to make provision for the protection of wild mammals from certain cruel acts; and for connected purposes.
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Act passed
Protection of Badgers Act 1992
Consolidated the earlier Badgers Acts into a single statute.
Long title
An Act to consolidate the Badgers Act 1973, the Badgers Act 1991 and the Badgers (Further Protection) Act 1991.
1980s
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Act passed
Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986
Replaced the 1876 Act. Licensing of regulated procedures on protected animals.
Long title
An Act to make new provision for the protection of animals used for experimental or other scientific purposes.
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Act passed
Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985
The Northern Ireland counterpart to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and the instrument under which DAERA issues its general licences.
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Act passed
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
The core wildlife protection statute, and still the vehicle through which the snare and glue trap prohibitions are made. Section 11 governs traps and snares.
Long title
An Act to repeal and re-enact with amendments the Protection of Birds Acts 1954 to 1967 and the Conservation of Wild Creatures and Wild Plants Act 1975; to prohibit certain methods of killing or taking wild animals; to amend the law relating to protection of certain mammals; to restrict the introduction of certain animals and plants; to amend the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act 1976; to amend the law relating to nature conservation, the countryside and National Parks and to make provision with respect to the Countryside Commission; to amend the law relating to public rights of way; and for connected purposes.
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Act passed
Zoo Licensing Act 1981
Introduced licensing and periodic inspection of zoos.
Long title
An Act to regulate by licence the conduct of zoos.
1970s
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Act passed
Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976
Introduced local authority licensing for keeping listed species privately.
Long title
An Act to regulate the keeping of certain kinds of dangerous wild animals.
1960s
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came into force
Theft Act 1968, sections 1 and 7
There is no specific pet abduction offence in Wales. A dog or cat is property, so taking one is theft, for which the maximum on conviction on indictment is seven years' imprisonment. The Pet Abduction Act 2024 extends to England and Wales as a single jurisdiction, but its offences are committed only where the person and the animal are both in England or Northern Ireland, so they are not available in Wales.
1950s
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Act passed
Pests Act 1954
Introduced the spring trap approval regime, under which only approved traps may be used for listed species.
Long title
An Act to make further provision with respect to the destruction or control of rabbits and other animals and birds, and to the use of spring traps for killing or taking animals.
1910s
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Act passed
Protection of Animals Act 1911
The principal cruelty statute for most of the twentieth century. Largely superseded in England and Wales by the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Long title
An Act to consolidate, amend, and extend certain enactments relating to Animals and to Knackers; and to make further provision with respect thereto.
1870s
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Act passed
Cruelty to Animals Act 1876
Regulated experiments on living animals. Repealed and replaced by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
What this does not show
Secondary legislation, other than the commencement dates already recorded in the law dataset. A complete list of statutory instruments touching animal welfare would run to thousands of entries and is better served by legislation.gov.uk itself.
Extent is recorded only where it has been checked against the Act. A UK Parliament Act may extend to any combination of the four nations, so the legislature that passed an Act is not a safe proxy for where it applies. Where extent has not been verified, the row says nothing rather than guessing. For the position today, see law by nation.