[4] The 2006 Act introduced tougher penalties for neglect and cruelty, including fines of up to £20,000, a maximum jail term of 51 weeks and a lifetime ban on some owners keeping pets.

[5] Enforcers of the act such as the police or local authority inspectors (but not organisations such as the RSPCA) have more powers to intervene if they suspect a pet is being neglected.

[5] This places a duty of care on pet owners to provide for their animals' basic needs, such as adequate food and water, veterinary treatment and an appropriate environment in which to live.

[5] The docking (cutting or removal) of animals' tails for cosmetic reasons is illegal in the UK, with the exception of working dogs such as those in the police and armed forces.

Badger culling is a controversial legal method to try to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis in the United Kingdom.

The Farm Animal Welfare Committee is an independent advisory body established by the Government of the United Kingdom in 2011.

The previous maximum jail term of 51 weeks in prison for animal neglect and cruelty was criticised as being too lenient.

[16] Intensive poultry units (IPU) in Shropshire house over 20 million industrially farmed chickens at any one time, one of the densest concentrations of IPUs in Europe.

[22] The RSPCA maintains that "ninety per cent of all supermarket chickens in the UK are a fast-growing breed, genetically selected for their rapid growth rate", referred to as "Frankenchickens".

[23] In 2024, the global fast food franchise KFC has had to drop it's pledge of sourcing higher welfare, slower-growing breeds by 2026.

However, farrowing crates, practically identical cages, that sows are moved into after they give birth, in order to reduce piglet crushing are legal.

[31] A 2005 survey of 54 pig farmers in England found them to view animal welfare as very important and acknowledged government regulation as the right mechanism to enforce it.

All research projects must pass an ethical review panel set by the Home Office, which aims to decide if the potential benefits outweigh any suffering for the animals involved.

Embryonic and foetal forms of mammals, birds and reptiles are protected during the last third of their gestation or incubation period.

"[36] The definition of regulated procedures was also expanded: "A procedure is regulated if it is carried out on a protected animal and may cause that animal a level of pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm equivalent to, or higher than, that caused by inserting a hypodermic needle according to good veterinary practice."