Pet Animals Act 1951

7 Interpretation. S

(1) References in this Act to the keeping of a pet shop shall, subject to the following provisions of this section, be construed as references to the carrying on at premises of any nature (including a private dwelling) of a business of selling animals as pets, and as including references to the keeping of animals in any such premises as aforesaid with a view to their being sold in the course of such a business, whether by the keeper thereof or by any other person:

Provided that—

(a) a person shall not be deemed to keep a pet shop by reason only of his keeping or selling pedigree animals bred by him, or the offspring of an animal kept by him as a pet;

(b) where a person carries on a business of selling animals as pets in conjunction with a business of breeding pedigree animals, and the local authority are satisfied that the animals so sold by him (in so far as they are not pedigree animals bred by him) are animals which were acquired by him with a view to being used, if suitable, for breeding or show purposes but have subsequently been found by him not to be suitable or required for such use, the local authority may if they think fit direct that the said person shall not be deemed to keep a pet shop by reason only of his carrying on the first-mentioned business.

(2) References in this Act to the selling or keeping of animals as pets shall be construed in accordance with the following provisions, that is to say—

(a) as respects cats and dogs, such references shall be construed as including references to selling or keeping, as the case may be, wholly or mainly for domestic purposes; and

(b) as respects any animal, such references shall be construed as including references to selling or keeping, as the case may be, for ornamental purposes.

(3) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the meanings hereby respectively assigned to them, that is to say:—

• “animal” includes any description of vertebrate;

• “local authority” means the council of any . . . F1 county district, the council of a . . . F1 borough or the Common Council of the City of London and in Scotland means [F2 a council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994];

• “pedigree animal” means an animal of any description which is by its breeding eligible for registration with a recognised club or society keeping a register of animals of that description;

• [F3 “road” has the same meaning as in the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984;];

• . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F4

• “veterinary surgeon” means a person who is for the time being registered in the Register of Veterinary Surgeons;

• “veterinary practitioner” means a person who is for the time being registered in the Supplementary Veterinary Register.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words repealed by Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70), Sch. 30

F2 Words in s. 7(3) substituted (S.) (1.4.1996) by 1994 c. 39, s. 180(1), Sch. 13 para. 36; S.I. 1996/323, art. 4(1)(b)(c)

F3 Definition of “road” inserted (S.) after the definition of “pedigree animal” by Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 (c. 54, SIF 108), Sch. 9 para. 40(3)

F4 Words repealed by Pet Animals Act 1951 (Amendment) Act 1983 (c. 26, SIF 4:5), s. 1(b)