The Act made it a criminal offence to abandon an animal, or permit it to be abandoned, "in circumstances likely to cause the animal any unnecessary suffering".

The offence was treated as "cruelty" within the terms of the Protection of Animals Act 1911 section 1 subsection 1, which as amended currently provides for a fine or up to six months imprisonment on conviction.

The Act extends to England and Wales, and Scotland, but not to Northern Ireland.

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