From trips to the vet to micro-chipping, being a good pet owner means knowing the law.
Mandatory micro-chipping
They say dogs are man's best friend, and losing a much-loved pet can be devastating. Micro-chipping offers the best chance of a missing animal's safe return.
More than 86% of UK dog owners have already micro-chipped their pets. But, on 6 April this year, micro-chipping dogs became compulsory. Any dog over the age of eight weeks must be micro-chipped and registered on a national database.
If a local authority finds a dog without a microchip, it can order the owner to microchip their dog within 21 days, or face a fine of £500.
Buying a pet
Pet ownership often starts with buying your pet, and by law you must be at least 16 years old to buy an animal. Adults are legally responsible for the welfare of their children's pets.
When you buy a pet from a shop, the law protects you as a consumer. That means that if your pet gets sick or dies shortly after you buy it, the pet shop may give you a refund or replace your pet.
If you buy an animal from a private seller, you have fewer rights. For more about your rights, visit Citizens Advice's website.
Caring for animals
The Animal Welfare Act is now 10 years old. It states that owners must take all reasonable steps to:
- meet their pets' needs
- give them enough food and water
- house them properly, and
- protect them from pain, suffering, injury and disease
People who don't look after their animals can be banned from owning them, fined up to £20,000, or even be sent to prison.
Going to the vet
Trips to the vets are part and parcel of owning a pet, and the law protects you and your animals while you're there.
If the treatment a vet gives doesn't meet a reasonable standard of care and injures your pet, you can complain or take legal action.
You should get legal advice early on. Citizens Advice can help. In some cases, it makes sense to talk to a lawyer.
Your Comments
I am a Reactive dog owner, I want all to understand that no obeying leash laws puts all dogs in dangerous situations. These situations often cause a spike in my stress level. I try not to let this stress at diffusing potential disaster leak out in the form of angry shouting, but sometimes it happens.
Shouting happens because I, as the owner of the reactive dog, often get saddled with 100% responsibility for the incident. If I could only control my dog more, somehow, then none of this would ever happen.
But here's the rub: I am already controlling my dog - he's on a lead....
What do we hear... "its okay, my dog is friendly", No it is not okay, just because your dog is friendly doesn't mean all dogs are - please remember. When a dog runs up to a dog on a leash they could become scared or reactive - Owners need to respect other owners and need their space. Not all dogs want the added attention or intrusion. If you have no voice control over your dog off leash then keep them on it.
Please bring a law in.
I believe dogs need to run and play with other dogs but in a safe, enclosed environment.
Hope it goes okay & your doggo meets the right family.
Hope it goes okay & your doggo meets the right family.
There is information about the legal requirements on you as the new owner, and what you need to do to update the microchip details, on the Dog's Trust's website.
There are a number of official databases that hold microchip details and you need to update the owner details with the database that relates to your dog's microchip. Again there is information on this on the Dog's Trust website.
I have had fall out with my family and moved out of my mums home into my boyfriends.
Without my knowledge my mum has given my dog to my brother who is out right refusing to give him back to me.
I am currently trying to fight my self better from a mental illness and my dog is a great source of comfort for me.
He is registered in my name and I have proof that he is my dog.
I don't feel safe going to my brothers house to get my dog back.
Can anyone please help.
She's got herself in a strop and is now saying that because she has never transferred ownership she is going to take them back. I've paid any bills, fed them, had them clipped etc and they were given as gifts to my children.
Do I have any say in whether they get taken away?
I hope you can help? Recently we acquired a female dog through a relitive who is a homeless drug addict by choice. She has been sofa surfing and stated she was being homes in a shelter but no animals allowed and told us she's going to have to get rid of her dog.
I agreed I would take the dog in until she could have her back but other family members have since asked me to not keep the dog as the homeless drug addict will never be fit to care for her. She's apparently done this with three other dogs in the past free years.
If over time the dog happily settles here and the said relative doesn't wants her back what would my rights be? As she wouldn't give her the care or vet care she needs.
Also I'm worried if when I take her to the vets they may scan her and see that the said relative is in fact not the registered owner at all and the dog is then taken and returned to the initial owners.
If it turns out she has been stolen then rightfully so she be returned. I just don't want to look after her and love her then loose her. So that's why I need to get this sorted now.
She in dog rescue and they wont give me her but I will get her no matter what
His tooth had gone in quite deeply, but there was no pulling, shaking or tearing, just a push to the floor, it's possible he was protecting me.
I told her to take him to the vets to get him checked and to let me know the bill and I would sort it. Even though she had brought the dog to us I still felt a responsibility as my dog had after all injured hers.
The next day I went to see her and she hadn't taken it to the vets, but later that evening she came to me and said that she had now taken him and that the wound was infected and he needed antibiotics and other meds and the bill was £85. I pointed out that if she had taken him on the evening it happened then there probably wouldn't be any infection, I gave her the money for the bill.
2 Dys later I went to see how he was, she told me he hadn't had the medication because he hadn't eaten anything since the incident, except some chicken that she had cooked, but she wasn't buying chicken every day. I pointed out that he was eating dry dog food as we spoke and she said yes but the medication is in his other food. While we were there she showed me her finger that he had bitten when she tried to give it in a syringe and he growled and bared his teeth at myself and my grandson who was with me.
She has come today to say that he may have to have an operation as it isn't healing and I pointed out that she hasn't given the medication so any further infection is due to her not treating him. She said that she is seeking legal advice and I am worried now that my dog who plays with every other dog on the green, may now be labelled as dangerous, when in fact he isn't.
Here are some links that might be of use:
https://www.yourdog.co.uk/dog-care-and-advice/your-dogs-health/having-your-dog-cremated/
https://appcc.org.uk/
Hope this helps
Thanks
Legal Choices
There might be some useful information on the below link:
https://www.petlog.org.uk/transfer-of-keepership/
Hope it helps
Thanks
Legal Choices
At the end of January 2019 my parents sold my puppy. They said I wasn’t allowed her however the man who bought her made a verbal agreement with me that I can get her back when I move out of my parents house. Now around 2 months later I got an offer for a flat and he has still not returned the dog.
My mum is planning on taking him to court to try and get her back but will this work? What will happen?
I have all the proof that I bought this dog and my parents regretting selling her.
I'm sorry to hear this.
Here are some links with information that you might find useful:
https://www.inbrief.co.uk/animal-law/law-relating-to-the-sale-of-dogs/
https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/what-are-my-consumer-rights-when-buying-a-puppy-kitten-or-other-pet
Thanks
Legal Choices
Here are some links with information that you might find useful:
https://www.inbrief.co.uk/animal-law/law-relating-to-the-sale-of-dogs/
https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/what-are-my-consumer-rights-when-buying-a-puppy-kitten-or-other-pet
Thanks
Legal Choices
I bought an Indian Ringneck parrot which was about 20 weeks old at the time. After bringing it home it died 3 weeks later, I am an experience parrot owner and looked after the parrot well.. The parrot showed no signs of illness. The pet shop will not give a refund saying they have no control after 48 hours of buying.
What are my options of getting a refund?
We are sorry to hear this.
I have listed a few websites below, please do visit them. It might be worth seeking legal advice.
https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/what-are-my-consumer-rights-when-buying-a-
puppy-kitten-or-other-pet
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/pet-becomes-ill-or-dies-after-buying/
Hope this will be of some use.
Best wishes
Legal Choices
We are sorry to hear this.
I have listed a few websites below, please do visit them. It might be worth seeking legal advice.
https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/what-are-my-consumer-rights-when-buying-a-
puppy-kitten-or-other-pet
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/pet-becomes-ill-or-dies-after-buying/
Hope this will be of some use.
Best wishes
Legal Choices
Please see some below site for information:
https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/what-are-my-consumer-rights-when-buying-a-
puppy-kitten-or-other-pet
https://www.doglaw.co.uk/ownership-custody-disputes/
Thanks
Legal Choices
My Bulldog puppy recently went into the kennels for an overnight stay and came out injured.
When asked what happened they were unsure and 'assumed he slipped on water'. they took him to their vet whom apparently said it was soft tissue damage but they didn't give any further info. Following a visit to our own vet, he has a dislocated him and damage to his knee, as well as this, he came back from the kennels without his name tag.
To me, this screams that something happened which they are not telling me about. I took my dog to a reputable kennels and he has come back as a completely different very injured dog and I want to seek advice on what to do from here.
any help would be greatly appreciated.
You may need to seek legal advise.
The law Society have a great service called ‘Find a Solicitor’, which can be found here - https://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/
Thanks
Legal Choices
It may be worth you having a look at the below, and also having a look online. You may need to seek legal advice.
https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/what-are-my-consumer-rights-when-buying-a-
puppy-kitten-or-other-pet
Thanks
Legal Choices
This website says you can purchase a pet at 16. Does this mean that i could buy a dog myself? Could my parents sell it or take it away from me?
Please take a look at the below website.
https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/what-are-my-consumer-rights-when-buying-a-puppy-kitten-or-other-pet
Legal Choices
We cannot provide official legal advice I'm afraid, but we can signpost you to various areas on the web.
As such, there may be some information here, that you might find useful:
https://childprotectionresource.online/the-social-worker-tells-me-i-have-to-get-rid-of-my-pets/
It may also be worth you contacting a local RSPCA to ask if they are aware of anything relating to this and if they can provide you with any information.
Best Wishes
Legal Choices Team
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