Animals are important in different commercial sectors, including sports, laboratory research and security. However, the most common animal types in the general population are companion animals or simply, pets. Pets provide physical benefits such as promoting exercise, providing visual guidance for the blind and enhancing home security. There are also emotional benefits such as improving social interaction, providing general companionship and contributing to therapy for people with some anxiety disorders. Regardless of your goal, there are important legal aspects that you should understand if you want to or are already keeping a pet. Here are the most critical elements in the welfare of pets that you should consider as an owner.
Identification and Registration
When you acquire a pet, it is critical to ensure that the animal is officially registered. This legislation is critical for cats and dogs because these can leave their home and get lost. The animal should also have an identification which should be permanent, but the process should be painless. The registration and identification will limit the risk of the animal ending up in animal shelter unnecessarily. These practical steps will ensure the safe return of the pet. You should note that if you acquire an unregistered animal, the council will send you a notice to comply with the law. If you fail to comply within fourteen days, you might receive up to fifty penalty points. If you have a legitimate reason for non-compliance, you should engage an animal lawyer to argue your case.
Animal Cruelty
Animal cruelty is a serious criminal offence, and you can be penalised heavily as an owner if you treat your companion animal without regard for their welfare. There are different forms of cruelty to pets that you should understand as a current or potential owner. General cruelty to animals can be considered as acts of negligence or failure to provide for your pet's welfare. For example, failure to feed the pet, inducing psychological distress and confining the animal poorly is cruel. This will attract up to one hundred penalty units or a year of imprisonment or both. Aggravated cruelty involving intentional and overt cruel actions against pets will result in doubling the penalty.
Nuisance Animals
You should be vigilant about animal legal issues if you have a potentially nuisance animals. In most cases, you will require a lawyer, especially if the council has contacted you about your alleged menacing, dangerous, barking or destructive dog. Lack of control of such an animal will attract penalties, and dangerous dogs may be destroyed.
