Section 9: places a duty of care on all animal owners to ensure they meet the welfare needs of their animals. This mean anyone who is responsible for animals must take positive steps to ensure they care for their animals properly and in particular must provide for the five welfare needs.
The Five Welfare Needs:
- Health – Protection from pain, injury, suffering and disease and treated if they become ill or injured.
- Behaviour – the ability to behave naturally for their species eg. Play, run, dig, jump, fly etc.
- Companionship – to be housed with, or apart from, other animals as appropriate for the species. i.e. company of their own kind for sociable species like rabbits or guinea pigs, or to be housed alone for solitary species like hamsters.
- Diet – a suitable diet. This can include feeding appropriately for the pet’s life stage and feeding a suitable amount to prevent obesity or malnourishment, as well as access to fresh clean water.
- Environment – a suitable environment. This should include the right type of home with a comfortable place to rest and hide as well as space to exercise and explore.
Failure to meet these needs enforcement officers have the powers to take action or in some cases prosecute.