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New Animal Welfare Act comes into forceWe are delighted that the new Animal Welfare Act has come into force across England, having already become law in Wales at the end of March.The Animal Welfare Bill was given Royal Assent by Her Majesty the Queen in November and came into operation on Good Friday (April 6th) across England. An almost identical bill has recently passed into law in Scotland. As a leading equine welfare organisation, Redwings participated actively in the consultation process and we are delighted that the new legislation finally replaces a set of animal welfare laws that in the main date back to 1911. There is now a legal obligation for the owner or keeper of any animal to provide for its welfare and the law should allow neglect and cruelty to be dealt with in proportion to the severity of the offence. Greater emphasis is therefore placed on owners and keepers to understand their responsibilities and take all reasonable steps to provide for the needs of their animals. Our Head of Welfare and veterinary surgeon Nicolas De Brauwere said: "This is a momentous time for everyone working in the field of animal welfare. Of course, until the new law is tested we will not know exactly how much better it will be than the previous legislation. However, we are very hopeful that horses, ponies, donkeys and mules around the UK will be better served by the law in future." For more information about the new Animal Welfare Act, visit the Welfare pages of this site or telephone Redwings' Welfare helpline on 01508 481008.
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