Pet Care Trust welcomes the animal welfare bill

The Pet Care Trust has welcomed the publication of the Animal Welfare Bill for England and Wales. The bill will consolidate a century of animal welfare legislation. It will introduce for the first time a duty of care, ensuring pet owners are legally obliged to look after their pets, rather than merely banned from doing harm. The Trust also welcomed the decision to increase from 12 to 16 the minimum age at which a child may buy an animal, as well as the proposal to license pet shops, boarding kennels and catteries for up to three years on a risk-managed basis.