PART 2PROTECTION OF ANIMALS

Prevention of harm

8Fighting etc.

1

A person commits an offence if that person—

a

causes an animal fight to take place, or attempts to do so;

b

knowingly receives money for admission to an animal fight;

c

knowingly publicises a proposed animal fight;

d

provides information about an animal fight to another with the intention of enabling or encouraging attendance at the fight;

e

makes or accepts a bet on the outcome of an animal fight or on the likelihood of anything occurring or not occurring in the course of an animal fight;

f

takes part in an animal fight;

g

owns or has in his or her possession anything designed or adapted for use in connection with an animal fight with the intention of its being so used;

h

keeps or trains an animal for use in connection with an animal fight;

i

keeps, uses or manages, or permits or assists in the keeping or use or management of, any premises for use for an animal fight.

2

A person commits an offence if, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, that person is present at an animal fight.

3

A person commits an offence if, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, that person—

a

knowingly supplies a photograph, image or video recording of an animal fight;

b

knowingly publishes a photograph, image or video recording of an animal fight;

c

knowingly shows a photograph, image or video recording of an animal fight to another; or

d

possesses a photograph, image or video recording of an animal fight, knowing it to be such a recording, with the intention of supplying it.

4

Subsection (3) does not apply—

a

in the case of paragraph (a), to the supply of a video recording for inclusion in a programme service;

b

in the case of paragraph (b) or (c), to the publication or showing of a video recording by means of its inclusion in a programme service;

c

in the case of paragraph (d), by virtue of intention to supply for inclusion in a programme service.

5

In this section—

  • “animal fight” means an occasion on which a protected animal is placed with an animal, or with a human, for the purpose of fighting, wrestling or baiting;

  • “programme service” has the same meaning as in the Communications Act 2003 (c. 21);

  • “video recording” means a recording, in any form, from which a moving image may by any means be reproduced and includes data stored on a computer disc or by other electronic means which is capable of conversion into a moving image.

6

In this section—

a

references to supplying or publishing a video recording are to supplying or publishing a video recording in any manner, including, in relation to a video recording in the form of data stored electronically, by means of transmitting such data;

b

references to showing a video recording are to showing a moving image reproduced from a video recording by any means.