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Animal Health and Welfare

There is a wide range of legislation in the UK designed to protect the health and welfare of both domesticated and wild animals.

Animal health and welfare legislation is enforced jointly by the Local Authority and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), in association with other government bodies and independent organisations like the RSPCA.

What the Local Authority do:

Licensing of:

• Horse Riding Establishments
• Dog Breeding Establishments
• Animal Boarding Establishments
• Exotic, Dangerous or Wild Animals
• Pet Shops
• Zoos

What Defra do:

• National Animal Health and Welfare Strategy
• Animal Welfare at Farms, Markets, Slaughterhouses
• The Pet Travel Scheme
• International Trade in Animals
• Animal Diseases - Control and Surveillance, BSE, Tuberculosis, Scrapie, Foot and Mouth Disease
• Animal by-products
• Wildlife Conservation and Biodiversity
• Wildlife Crime
• Animal Movements

Defra Helpline: 08459 33 55 77

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