For historical purposes only. Law has been repealed and/or replaced. An Act to extend the provisions of the Protection of Animals Acts in relation to the performance of operations on animals. The statute provides a list of operations that may only be performed with the use of anaesthetic.
An Act to repeal the Animals (Anaesthetics) Act 1919 and to extend the provisions of the Protection of Animals Acts in relation to the performance of operations on animals.
1 Use of anaesthetics in operations on animals
(1) If any operation to which this section applies is performed on any animal without the use of an anaesthetic so administered as to prevent any pain during the operation, that operation shall be deemed for the purposes of the principal Act to be an operation which is performed without due care and humanity.
(2) This section applies to any operation with or without the use of instruments which involves interference with the sensitive tissues or the bone structure of an animal, other than-
(a) the making of injections or extractions by means of a hollow needle; or
(b) an operation included in the First Schedule to this Act.
(3) The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Wales, acting jointly, may, after consultation with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and with such persons appearing to those Ministers to represent agricultural interests as may appear to those Ministers appropriate, by order amend any of the ages specified in paragraph 6 of the said First Schedule; and any order under this subsection-
(a) shall be made by statutory instrument, which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament; and
(b) may be varied or revoked by a subsequent order thereunder.
(4) This Act shall be construed as one with the principal Act, so, however, that in this Act the expression "animal" shall not include a fowl or other bird, fish or reptile.
(5) In this section, the expression "the principal Act" means-
(a) in relation to England and Wales, the Protection of Animals Act 1911; and
(b) in relation to Scotland, the Protection of Animals (Scotland) Act, 1912;
as amended by or under any other enactment.
Annotation
Wales: Functions of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Secretary of State for Wales, so far as exercisable in relation to Wales, were transferred to the Welsh Assembly: see National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 1999, SI 1999/672, art 2, Sch 1 .
2 Citation, repeal, extent and commencement
(1) This Act may be cited as the Protection of Animals (Anaesthetics) Act 1954.
(2) This Act and the Acts specified in Part I of the Second Schedule to this Act may be cited together as the Protection of Animals Acts 1911 to 1954.
(3) This Act and the Acts specified in Part II of the said Second Schedule may be cited together as the Protection of Animals (Scotland) Acts, 1912 to 1954.
(4) . . .
(5) This Act shall not extend to Northern Ireland.
(6) This Act shall come into operation on the first day of September, nineteen hundred and fifty-four.
SCHEDULE 1
Excepted Operations
Section 1
1 Any procedure duly authorised under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
2 The rendering in emergency of first aid for the purpose of saving life or relieving pain.
3 The docking of the tail of a dog before its eyes are open.
4 The amputation of the dew claws of a dog before its eyes are open.
5 . . .
6 The castration of a male animal specified in the following table before it has reached the age so specified, that is to say-
bull [2 months].
sheep 3 months.
goat 2 months.
pig 4 weeks.
6A The foregoing paragraph shall not apply to the castration of an animal by using a rubber ring or other device to constrict the flow of blood to the scrotum unless the device is applied within the first week of life.
7 Any minor operation performed by a veterinary surgeon or veterinary practitioner, being an operation which, by reason of its quickness or painlessness, is customarily so performed without the use of an anaesthetic.
8 Any minor operation, whether performed by a veterinary surgeon or veterinary practitioner or by some other person, being an operation which is not customarily performed only by such a surgeon or practitioner.
SCHEDULE 2
Acts which may be cited together
Section 2
Part I
The Protection of Animals Act 1911.
The Protection of Animals Act (1911) Amendment Act 1912.
The Protection of Animals Act (1911) Amendment Act 1921.
The Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925.
The Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act 1927.
The Protection of Animals (Cruelty to Dogs) Act 1933.
The Protection of Animals Act 1934.
The Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act 1954.
Part II
The Protection of Animals (Scotland) Act 1912.
The Protection of Animals (Scotland) Act 1912 Amendment Act 1921.
The Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925.
The Protection of Animals Act 1934.
The Protection of Animals (Cruelty to Dogs) (Scotland) Act 1934.
The Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act 1954.