1. A brief history of animal welfare legislation in the UK 1822-2009
1822: The Cruel Treatment of Cattle Act - the world's first parliamentary
legislation for the welfare of animals - bans the torture and abuse of
cows and sheep, on pain of a £5 fine.
1824: The RSPCA is founded.
1860: The Battersea Dogs and Cats Home is established.
1911: The Protection of Animals Act is passed. Those who fail to care
properly for domestic or captive animals can be prosecuted.
1951: The Pet Animals Act is passed, required all pet shops to be
registered with local authorities, and forbidding the sale of pets at
markets and on the streets.
1960: The Abandonment of Animals Act makes it illegal to abandon an
animal "in circumstances likely to cause the animal any unnecessary
suffering".
1973: The Breeding of Dogs Act is approved, obliging all breeders to
register with their local authority.
1999: Amendments to the Breeding of Dogs Act set limits on mating,
and require breeding and trading records to be kept.
2006: The Animal Welfare Act is passed. Owners are now responsible
for ensuring all their animals' needs are met.
2007: The mutilation of dogs by tail docking is banned, with a few
exceptions for certain breeds.
2009: Defra launches the Welfare of Dogs code.