'Duty of care' under new animal law

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Junior environment minister Barry Gardiner was highlighting measures in the Animal Welfare Act, which comes into force on Friday.

He hailed it as the most significant reform of animal welfare legislation for a century and said it would help stop suffering before it occurred.

It is the first time a duty of care will be imposed for non-farm animals.

Animal owners must provide them with a suitable diet, environment, housing and ensure they can behave normally and without pain or disease.

Maximum penalties for owners found in breach of the new rules include a ban on owning animals, fines of up to £20,000 or up to 51 weeks in prison.

The Act raises from 12 to 16 the minimum age for buying a pet and bans pets as prizes for under-16s.

It also bans the docking of dogs' tails for cosmetic reasons, with exemptions for "working" dogs used by the police, armed forces, search and rescue and gun dogs.

Mr Gardiner launched the Act with TV vet David Grant at the Harmsworth Animal Hospital, north London, where the BBC's Animal Hospital was filmed.

"The Animal Welfare Act represents the most important achievement in animal welfare legislation for almost a century," Mr Gardiner said.