what are the laws on killing animals?

do you need some sort of permit if you have a farm or something? can you buy chickens/cows and slaughter them in your own house? are there certain animals you can't kill, e.g. dogs, even if you're killing them for food?

Reply 1

Srxjer

11

I'm fairly certain that you need a license etc.

There's also a law for humanity when an animal is slaughtered; i.e they're meant to feel no pain. But I'm not sure how many slaughters comply with this law. :frown:

Reply 2

Ozzy91

You've been asking alot of questions about killing animals today.. Is there something you're planning?

And I'm pretty sure you can kill any animals as long as you dont cause unnessecary suffering.

Reply 3

Mr_Deeds

13

wintersunset

do you need some sort of permit if you have a farm or something? can you buy chickens/cows and slaughter them in your own house? are there certain animals you can't kill, e.g. dogs, even if you're killing them for food?

No you can't; this sort of thing has to happen in a licensed slaughter house and a permit is required. Otherwise you'd breach the Protection of Animals Act 1911 which carries a maximum 51 weeks custodial sentence or/and a fine of up to £20,000. Btw, why have you started a number of threads which centre upon the killing and torturing of animals?

Reply 4

KateBux

It is illegal in the UK to consume the meat of a dog or cat.

Reply 5

wintersunset

OP

9

Mr_Deeds

No you can't; this sort of thing has to happen in a licensed slaughter house otherwise you'd breach the Protection of Animals Act 1911 which carries a maximum 51 weeks custodial sentence or/and a fine of up to £20,000. Why have you started a number of threads which centre upon the killing and torturing of animals, btw?

the first was a philosophical question, now i'm just wondering what the law is. no need to be so suspicious.

Reply 6

wintersunset

OP

9

KateBux

It is illegal in the UK to consume the meat of a dog or cat.

what the ****? why?

Reply 7

Mr_Deeds

13

wintersunset

the first was a philosophical question, now i'm just wondering what the law is. no need to be so suspicious.

Just seems a little disconcerting but OK. :smile:

Reply 8

L i b

19

Mr_Deeds

No you can't; this sort of thing has to happen in a licensed slaughter house and a permit is required. Otherwise you'd breach the Protection of Animals Act 1911 which carries a maximum 51 weeks custodial sentence or/and a fine of up to £20,000. Btw, why have you started a number of threads which centre upon the killing and torturing of animals?

There are plenty of exceptions. For instance, any person can kill, say, a cow in a field by means of a 'free bullet'; owners are allowed to slaughter livestock themselves for their private consumption - and then of course there are the obvious ones, like slaughters to prevent infection or for medical reasons etc.

Reply 9

L i b

19

KateBux

It is illegal in the UK to consume the meat of a dog or cat.

Hmm, I'm not so sure that it is. I certainly can't find anything to prevent it.

Reply 10

Mr_Deeds

13

L i b

There are plenty of exceptions. For instance, any person can kill, say, a cow in a field by means of a 'free bullet'; owners are allowed to slaughter livestock themselves for their private consumption - and then of course there are the obvious ones, like slaughters to prevent infection or for medical reasons etc.

I'm not sure the OP's circumstances falls into any of those categories but yes, valid point. All of those exceptions are governed by the 1911 Act though, and must be conducted in a humane way. :smile:

"Free bullet" is a term used to describe the way in which animals should be slaughtered. You shoot the animal in the forehead with the bullet directed down the spine; the result is a sudden and apparently painless death.

Reply 11

Lil Piranha

12

Vermin can be shot all year round, on your own land (get permission before wandering onto a farmer's field and opening fire!) but there are 2 different categories requiring 2 kinds of weapons:

The first can be shot with air rifles. These include: magpies, crows, rooks, jays, grey squirrel, brown rat, wood pigeon, feral pigeon, collared doves, rabbits, and mink.

Foxes are also vermin, but these you have to shoot with a proper rifle.

Then there is the shooting/hunting seasons for pheasant, grouse, coots, ducks, deer and other game animals. Check with your local CA rep or look it up online.

Dogs can be shot under the protection of livestock act, if they are worrying your sheep, cattle, deer, poulty etc and if you use a shotgun/rifle as with foxes and report the incident to police within 24 hours, as you would if you'd run over a dog.

You do not have to report it if you run over a cat, but for some reason cats don't come into the Livestock Protection act. Though my understanding is you are allowed to shoot wild ones at will as they come under "vermin". NOT pets; only feral or stray ones. The distinction can be hard to make, so I'd say leave well alone.

Reply 12

Lil Piranha

12

wintersunset

do you need some sort of permit if you have a farm or something? can you buy chickens/cows and slaughter them in your own house?

Chickens, no problem. I keep chickens myself and although we don't keep them for food anymore we used to. You can kill them and eat them without a licence, as long as you're not serving them up to the public. I *think* the same would be true for cows, as long as you aren't planning to sell it to the public again, but I don't see how you could. You'd need industrial sized storage and special sterilised rooms and an awful lot of other equipment and knowledge.

wintersunset

are there certain animals you can't kill, e.g. dogs, even if you're killing them for food?

Depends, do you own the animal? Swans are one you can never ever kill, as legally they all belong to the Queen for some reason. You can hunt game birds within season if you get the landowners permission.

If they're your pets then I suppose you CAN kill them, but it would probably be frowned upon...

Reply 13

L i b

19

Lil Piranha

You do not have to report it if you run over a cat, but for some reason cats don't come into the Livestock Protection act. Though my understanding is you are allowed to shoot wild ones at will as they come under "vermin". NOT pets; only feral or stray ones. The distinction can be hard to make, so I'd say leave well alone.

If you mean real wild cats, then I suspect they'd be protected - I understand they're relatively rare. If you just mean pet cats that had gone feral, then yeah.

Reply 14

Lil Piranha

12

L i b

If you mean real wild cats, then I suspect they'd be protected - I understand they're relatively rare. If you just mean pet cats that had gone feral, then yeah.