(1)Before serving a decision notice, an authorised person must—
(a)make reasonable enquiries to establish the identity of the owner of the protected animal, or
(b)be satisfied that such reasonable enquiries have been made by another person.
(2)A decision notice must be served on the owner of the animal by—
(a)leaving it at the owner's home or business address, or
(b)sending it to such an address by—
(i)a registered post service (as defined in section 125(1) of the Postal Services Act 2000), or
(ii)a postal service which provides for the delivery of the document to be recorded.
(3)A single decision notice may be served in respect of two or more animals where—
(a)those animals were taken into possession under section 32 under the same exercise of the power conferred by that section, and
(b)in the opinion of the authorised person, the animals have the same owner.
(4)The date of service of a decision notice is the date on which it was served under subsection (2).
(5)Evidence that a decision notice has been sent in accordance with subsection (2)(b)(i) or (ii) is sufficient evidence of service of it.]
Textual Amendments