1.      General provisions

2.      Domestic animals

3.      Farm animals

4.      Animals used for entertainment, shows, films, sports and special purposes

5.      Animals in zoological gardens

6.      Animals living at large (wild)

7.      Transport of animals

8.      Operations and animals

9.      Experiments with the use of animals

10.  Putting animals to death

11.  Penal regulations

12.  Amendments in the applicable regulations, transitional and final provisions

Chapter 1

General provisions

Art. 1

1.      The animal as a live creature, capable of suffering, is not a thing.  The human being should respect, protect and provide care to it.

2.      All matters not regulated by this Act will be governed by the regulations applicable to things.

3.      The bodies of the Public Administration will undertake activities aimed at protecting animals, and will cooperate with appropriate domestic and foreign institutions and organizations.

Art. 2

The Act regulates the treatment of:

1)      domestic animals,

2)      farm animals,

3)      animals used for the purposes of entertainment, shows, films and sports, and for special purposes,

4)      used in experiments,

5)      animals kept in zoological gardens,

6)   free living animals (wild),

7)      animals not belonging to the domestic fauna.

Art. 3

To implement the provisions hereof, competent bodies of state administration and local self-government co-operate with the Veterinary Surgeons' self-governing Body, the Veterinary Inspection and other institutions and public organizations, for which the animal protection constitutes the statutory objective of activity.

Art. 4

Whenever the Act deals with:

1)      experiments on animals - it refers to using animals for scientific or educational purposes that may lead to bodily injuries or other health disorders, including pain, suffering and fear, except for animal branding.

2)      humane way of dealing with animals - it refers to dealing with animals allowing for their needs and providing care and protection to them.

3)   the necessity of putting to death immediately - it refers to the objective situation, if possible, stated by a veterinary surgeon, in which the animal can live only suffering and feeling pain, and it is the moral duty of the human being to put an end to the animal's suffering,

4)      travelling menagerie - it refers to the business establishment involved in organizing travelling animal exhibitions,

5)      alternative methods in experiments - it refers to modern research methods that do not require performing experiments on a live animal,

6)      knocking the animal unconscious - it refers to the professional method leading to the loss of consciousness in the animal, lasting until the time of its death,

7)      cruel methods in animal rearing and production - it refers to human activity or default leading in an obvious way to pathological changes in the organism of an animal (somatic or psychological), especially in the form of consequences of severe pain, comparing to specific behavior (submission) by hunger, thirst or electric current (except using electric shepherds, trainers and electric devices designated for driving animals for other procedures of this kind), especially, feeding and watering animals by force,

8)      cruel treatment - it refers to the cases of animal abuse and other behavior of the owner or another person leading to the results comparable to those of abuse,

9)      tending - it refers to all aspects of relations between humanity and animals, especially material arid non-material resources activated by the humanity in order to obtain and maintain the physical and psychical condition in the animal owing to which it endures the living conditions imposed by the humanity best,

10)      overburdening of animals - it refers to forcing animals to excessive energetic effort that does not comply with the condition of the animal connected with its state of fitness and health,

11)      gross negligence - it refers to drastic departure from the standards of treatment of the animal as determined in the Act, especially in terms of keeping the animal in the state of starvation, dirt, non-treated illness in improper room and excessive lack of space,

12)      particular cruelty of those killing animals - it refers to activities undertaken by the perpetrator, characterized by the drastic form and methods of killing, especially killing in a sophisticated or slow manner, deliberately applied murder to increase the range of suffering and its duration,

13)      slaughterhouse - it refers to every establishment under the state hygienic and veterinary control, designated for slaughtering animals,

14)  fetters - it refers to all equipment mechanically limiting the freedom of movement of the animal in terms of its possibility to move beyond a settled range as well as some equipment designated for directing animal moves in the way planned by a person,

15)  proper conditions of living - it refers to ensuring the animal with the possibility of living in accordance with the needs of a given species, race, sex, and age.

16)  homeless animals - it refers to domestic or farming animals that escaped, got lost or were abandoned by man and it is impossible to find their owner or another person, in the care of whom they were previously permanently staying,

17)  domestic animals - of refers to animals traditionally staying with man in his home or another appropriate room, kept by man as his companions,

18)  farming animals - it refers to animals kept for breeding and reproduction,

19)  laboratory animals - it refers to animals kept for the purposes of using them in scientific experiments, especially mice, rats, guinea pigs, Syrian hamsters (golden), rabbits, dogs, cats, and quails - in places approved or registered by an appropriate authority,

20)  animals used for special purposes - it refers to animals whose professional training and use is performed on the basis of separate regulations that set forth detailed principles of operation for the units of the Polish Armed Forces, the Police, the Border Guard and other formations subordinate to the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, customs control services, rescue services and setting forth the principles for training and using dogs - guides of blind persons.

Art. 5

Every animal requires humane treatment.

Art. 6

1.                  Unjustified or inhumane killing of animals and their abuse is forbidden.

2.                  Inflicting or consciously permitting the infliction of pain or suffering should be considered as abusing animals and especially:

1)                 deliberately injuring or mutilating the animal if it does not constitute the procedure or experiment on animals permitted in law,

2)                 experiments on animals causing pain, carried out with infringement of the provisions of the Act,

3)                 deliberately using sick animals for work or entertainment purposes, including injured or lame animals or forcing them to actions which may cause pain,

4)                 beating animals with hard and sharp objects or such that are equipped with devices designated for inflicting special pain, beating over their head, lower part of abdomen and lower parts of extremities,

5)                 overburdening beasts of burden and pack animals with loads that do not match their strength and condition or the state of roads or forcing such animals to run excessively fast,

6)                 transport of animals including farm, and slaughter animals and those transported to market places, carrying or driving animals in a way producing unnecessary suffering and stress,

7)                 using harnesses, fetters, frames, bonds or other equipment forcing the animal to stay in an unnatural position, causing unnecessary pain, body injury or death,

8)                 performing procedures and surgical operations on animals by persons who not possess required licenses or not in keeping with the principles of medical-veterinary art, without maintaining necessary caution and wariness and inflicting pain that could be avoided,

9)                 deliberately frightening or teasing animals,

10)             keeping animals in improper living conditions, including keeping them in the state of gross sloppiness and in rooms or cages that make it impossible for them to maintain a natural position,

11)             abandoning animals, especially dogs and cat by the owner or another person who has the animal in care,

12)             applying cruel methods in animal breeding and production,

13)             testing hygienic and cosmetic agents causing suffering (if alternative methods are known).

Art. 7

1.                  The animal which is neglected in a gross manner or treated cruelly may be temporarily or permanently taken away from the owner or another person who is keeping it and on the basis of the decision of the administrator of the group of villages (mayor, town president) issued by rights or to the motion of the police, veterinary surgeon or an inspector of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Poland or an authorized representative of another public organization with a similar statutory subject of activity, and handed over to the animal shelter or into care of another person or institution.

2.                  The decision referred to in sections is immediately effective.

3.                  In urgent cases when the continuous stay of the animal with the previous owner or guardian constitutes a threat to its life, a policeman and also an inspector of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Poland or an authorized representative or another public organization with similar statutory object of activity may take the animal away from him, reporting it immediately to the administrator of the group of villages (mayor, president of the town), to enable this body to take a decision about taking the animal away.

4.                  In cases referred to in section 1 and 3 the costs of transport, maintenance and necessary treatment of the animal lie with the previous owner or guardian.

5.                  The payments connected with the costs set forth in section 4 are governed by the regulations concerning executory procedures in administration.

6.                  If the animal was taken away for the reason of gross negligence or cruel treatment by the owner or another person acting with the permission of the owner, the right of ownership to this animal expires on the date on which the decision on taking the animal away becomes effective and the animal becomes property of the commune.  In such a case the administrator of the group of villages (mayor, president of the town) has the animal at his disposal, and according to the circumstances and my give it to the animal shelter, sell it or transfer the ownership of it to an appropriate person or institution free of charge.

Art. 8

1.                  Curricula in all types of schools should now allow for the issues of animal protection and the establishment of school organizations of animal lovers.

2.                  The Minister of National Education, in agreement with the Minister of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry and with the Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy, determines the curriculum assumptions in the scope of the issues referred to in section 1.

3.                  The Board of Administration of the Province is obligated to prepare the program aimed at the dissipation of knowledge of the provisions of the Act amongst farmers.

Chapter 2

Domestic animals

Art. 9

1.                  Those who keep domestic animals have the duty to provide it with a room protecting it against cold, heat and rain with access to daylight and making it possible for it to change the position of its body, to have appropriate food and permanent access to water.

2.                  The leash on which the animal is kept cannot lead to injuries or suffering and must ensure necessary freedom of movement.

Art. 10

1.                  Keeping a dog of an aggressive breed requires the permission of the proper commune body.

2.                  The list of dog races referred to in section 1 and the conditions for issuing permissions shall be determined by way of resolution by the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration after consulting the Kennel Club in Poland.

Art. 11

1.                  Providing care to homeless animals and catching them lies with communes.

2.                  The Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, in agreement with the Minister of Environmental Resources and Forestry, shall determine by way of a resolution the principles and conditions for catching homeless animals.

3.                  Catching homeless animals and decisions about further handling of them may take place exclusively on the basis of the resolution of a competent commune council adapted in agreement with the state veterinary surgeon, operating on the basis of separate regulations and after consulting it with an authorized representative of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Poland or another public organization with a similar statutory object of activity.

4.                  The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Poland and other public organizations with a similar object of activity may ensure care to homeless animals and run animal shelters with this aim in view, in agreement with competent bodies of local self-government.

Chapter 3

Farm animals

Art. 12

1.                  Those who keep farm animals are obligated to ensure them care and appropriate living standards.

2.                  The conditions of rearing and production of animals cannot lead to injuries and to bodily harm or other suffering.

3.                  It is forbidden to give animals growth hormones.

4.                  It is forbidden to fatten geese and ducks for the purposes of the fatty degeneration of their livers.

5.                  It is forbidden to keep animals in a unit area if their number exceeds the standards approved for a given species, age and physiological condition.

6.                  It is forbidden to import animals and animal products obtained as a result of rearing or production in breech of the provisions of this Act.

7.                  The Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy shall determine by way of resolution the detailed conditions of keeping particular species of farm animals.

Art. 13

1.                  The introduction of a previously not applied technology of animal breeding requires the permission of the Governor of the Province, stating that it meets the requirements of this act.

2.                  The Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy shall determine by way of resolution the conditions procedure and method of the grant of permissions referred to in section 1.

Art. 14

1.                  Methods and conditions of using animals for work cannot create unjustified threat to their life or health, or inflict suffering on them.

2.                  In particular, it is forbidden to:

1)                 overburden animals

2)                 use animals sick or undernourished for work,

3)                 use harnesses, bits, saddles, saddle-bags, horse-shoes, vehicles or tools that may due to their poor technical condition or improper construction cause bodily injuries or lead to the death of the animal,

4)                 Use objects or tools for driving animals that could cause bodily injuries,

5)                 Force animals pulling loads to an exhaustive trot or gallop,

6)                 Use horses below the fifth year of life for skidding.

3.                  A person using animals for work is obligated to ensure them during each twenty four hour period, rest appropriate for a given species, to recuperate their strength.

Chapter 4

Animals used for entertainment, shows, films, sports and special purposes

Art. 15

1.                  Conditions of performance, training and methods of dealing with animals used for entertainment, shows, films, sports and special purposes cannot threaten their life and health or cause suffering.

2.                  Conditions of performance of animals referred to in section 1 must be determined in the screenplay or appropriate program approved by a person with appropriate qualifications.

3.                  The use of pharmacological and mechanical methods and steroids in animals is forbidden.

4.                  Animals referred to in section 1 should be ensured appropriate rest.  Especially, it is forbidden to use these animals directly after transport without providing them an opportunity to rest and recuperate.

5.                  Animals referred to in section 1 should be provided veterinary care.

6.                  The Minister of Culture and Art, in agreement with the Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy, shall determine by way of a resolution the method and procedure of granting licenses to people responsible for the observance of conditions referred to in section 2.

Art. 16

It is forbidden to use animals in shows and sports characterized by cruelty, especially it is forbidden to organize fights with participation of bulls, dogs, and cocks.

Art. 17

1.                  Only animals born and bred in captivity may be used for training and shows designated for shows and entertainment, and only those to which it is possible to provide such living conditions that are appropriate to the need of a given species.

2.                  Animal training for the purposes of shows and entertainment and defense may only be carried out by a duly qualified person in a manner that does not bring suffering to the animal.

3.                  It is not permitted to carry out training of the animals exclusively for the purpose of increasing aggression.

4.                  It is forbidden to force animal to perform actions that may cause pain or are contradictive to their nature.

5.                  The activity of travelling menagerie is forbidden.

6.                  It is forbidden to propagate or disseminate drastic scenes presenting killing, inflicting suffering or another type of violence by man, in which animals are victims, unless the scenes are meant to stigmatize the cruel treatment of animals.

7.                  To animals referred to in section 2 appropriate provisions of article 9 apply.

8.                  The Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy, in agreement with the Minister of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry, shall determine by way of a resolution, detailed conditions of keeping particular species of animals used for entertainment, shows, films, sports and special purposes.

9.                  The Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy shall determine by way of a resolution the method and detailed conditions of granting licenses to people referred to in section 2.

Art. 18

1.                  Animals used for entertainment, shows, films, sports and special purposes may be kept, bred and presented only in studs, circuses or circus basses and in the places designated for animals, used for such purposes, under the supervision of the state veterinary service.

2.                  Keeping, breeding or presentation of animals referred to in section 1 must be performed in a manner that guarantees the safety of people and animals.

Chapter 5

Animals in zoological gardens

Art. 19

1.                  Only animals born and brought up in captivity are kept in zoological gardens and other animals only if it is done for the sake of an individual animal population or a species or for educational purposes.

2.                  Animals in zoological gardens must be kept in the conditions appropriate for their breed.

3.