Pet Animals Act 1951
Pet Animals Act, 1951
(14 & 15 Geo. 6) CHAPTER 35
An Act to regulate the sale of pet animals.
[22nd June 1951]
Be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
1 Licensing of pet shops.
(1) No person shall keep a pet shop except under the authority of a licence granted in accordance with the provisions of this Act.
(2) Every local authority may, on application being made to them for that purpose by a person who is not for the time being disqualified from keeping a pet shop, and on payment of such fee not exceeding ten shillings as may be determined by the local authority, grant a licence to that person to keep a pet shop at such premises in their area as may be specified in the application and subject to compliance with such conditions as may be specified in the licence.
(3) In determining whether to grant a licence for the keeping of a pet shop by any person at any premises, a local authority shall in particular (but without prejudice to their discretion to withhold a licence on other grounds) have regard to the need for securing—
(a ) that animals will at all times be kept in accommodation suitable as respects size, temperature, lighting, ventilation and cleanliness;
(b ) that animals will be adequately supplied with suitable food and drink and (so far as necessary) visited at suitable intervals;
(c ) that animals, being mammals, will not be sold at too early an age;
(d ) that all reasonable precautions will be taken to prevent the spread among animals of infectious diseases;
(e ) that appropriate steps will be taken in case of fire or other emergency;
and shall specify such conditions in the licence, if granted by them, as appear to the local authority necessary or expedient in the particular case for securing all or any of the objects specified in paragraphs (a ) to (e ) of this subsection.
(4) Any person aggrieved by the refusal of a local authority to grant such a licence, or by any condition subject to which such a licence is proposed to be granted, may appeal to a court of summary jurisdiction having jurisdiction in the place in which the premises are situated; and the court may on such an appeal give such directions with respect to the issue of a licence or, as the case may be, with respect to the conditions subject to which a licence is to be granted as they think proper.
(5) Any such licence shall (according to the applicants' requirements) relate to the year in which it is granted or to the next following year. In the former case, the licence shall come into force at the beginning of the day on which it is granted, and in the latter case it shall come into force at the beginning of the next following year.
(6) Subject to the provisions hereinafter contained with respect to cancellation, any such licence shall remain in force until the end of the year to which it relates and shall then expire.
(7) Any person who contravenes the provisions of subsection (1) of this section shall be guilty of an offence; and if any condition subject to which a licence is granted in accordance with the provisions of this Act is contravened or not complied with the person to whom the licence was granted shall be guilty of an offence.
(8) In the application of this section to Scotland, in subsection (4) for the reference to a court of summary jurisdiction there shall be substituted a reference to the sheriff.
2 Pets not to be sold in streets, &c.
2. If any person carries on a business of selling animals as pets in any part of a street or public place, except at a stall or barrow in a market, he shall be guilty of an offence.
3 Pets not to be sold to children under twelve years of age.
3. If any person sells an animal as a pet to a person whom he has reasonable cause to believe to be under the age of twelve years, the seller shall be guilty of an offence.
4 Inspection of pet shops.
(1) A local authority may authorise in writing any of its officers or any veterinary surgeon or veterinary practitioner to inspect (subject to compliance with such precautions as the authority may specify to prevent the spread among animals of infectious diseases) any premises in their area as respects which a licence granted in accordance with the provisions of this Act...
To continue reading
Request your trial