Animal Welfare Act 1999

Part 1 Care of animals

9 Purpose

(1)

The purpose of this Part is to ensure that owners of animals and persons in charge of animals attend properly to the welfare of those animals.

(2)

This Part accordingly—

(a)

requires owners of animals, and persons in charge of animals, to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the physical, health, and behavioural needs of the animals are met in accordance with both—

(i)

good practice; and

(ii)

scientific knowledge; and

(b)

requires owners of ill or injured animals, and persons in charge of such animals, to ensure that the animals receive treatment that alleviates any unreasonable or unnecessary pain or distress from which the animals are suffering; and

(c)

imposes restrictions on the carrying out of surgical procedures on animals; and

(d)

contemplates that regulations will prohibit or impose requirements on the surgical or painful procedures that may be performed on animals; and

(e)

contemplates that regulations will prescribe the persons or classes of persons who may perform surgical or painful procedures on animals; and

(f)

specifies certain minimum conditions that must be observed in relation to the transportation of animals.

Section 9(2)(b): amended, on 10 May 2015, by section 11(1) of the Animal Welfare Amendment Act (No 2) 2015 (2015 No 49).

Section 9(2)(d): replaced, on 9 May 2021, by section 11(2) of the Animal Welfare Amendment Act (No 2) 2015 (2015 No 49).

Section 9(2)(e): replaced, on 9 May 2021, by section 11(2) of the Animal Welfare Amendment Act (No 2) 2015 (2015 No 49).