Animal Crime

Animal Crime

Wildlife and animal crime can be a complex area to understand.

To find out what wildlife crime is, go to our wildlife crime page.

Crimes involving animals that aren’t wildlife crimes, include:

livestock worrying

livestock theft

hunting

animal cruelty

dogs being out of control in public places

banned dogs

dog theft

Livestock worrying

Livestock worrying is a criminal offence and comes under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953.

‘Worrying’ is where a dog attacks or chases livestock causing injury or suffering.

This isn’t just a threat to a farmer or land owner’s livelihood, it’s also a dangerous situation for the animals involved, and could lead to more risk if the animals get onto the road.

A farmer is allowed to kill the dog if it’s worrying their livestock.

Always keep your dog under control around other animals and if you see a dog on the loose worrying animals, report it online.

Livestock theft

Grazing animals can be an easy target especially in remote rural locations.

check on your animal(s) regularly

report any suspicious vehicles

improve security around the area where the animal(s) graze

ear tags, horn brands, freeze marking, hoof branding, tattoos and microchips can all help identify your animal(s) if they’re stolen

in the case of cattle (cattle, bison or buffalo) you will need to report the loss or theft of an animal to the British Cattle Movement Service within seven days

some areas have Farm Watch or Rural Watch schemes, which you could consider joining

Remember, a horse passport is a legal requirement. You can find out how to apply for a horse passport.

Report livestock theft online.

Hunting

Hunting includes the chasing, capturing or killing of animals and birds.

Not all hunting is a crime, but there are many different laws to protect the different species of animals and birds. These laws cover things like:

where you can hunt

when you can hunt

if you can use dogs or not

the types of weapons and traps that can be used

Many animals are also protected by law, meaning it’s illegal to hunt them at any time unless you have special exemptions.

If you’re planning to go hunting, it’s important to know what is legal and not.

Find out more:

Illegal hunting
Types of illegal hunting

Animal cruelty

Animal cruelty is when someone doesn’t care for or deliberately hurts an animal.

It can include anything from physical violence, to deliberate mental distress or neglect, for example not feeding or cleaning an animal.

If you see, or suspect, that a person may be treating an animal badly, whether this is physical violence, neglect or any other form of cruelty, you should report this to the RSPCA.

We work with the RSPCA to investigate cases of animal cruelty.

If your partner, ex-partner or a family member has harmed or threatened to harm your pet, this can be a form of domestic abuse. Find out more about animal cruelty and domestic abuse.

Dogs out of control in public places

It’s an offence to let a dog be dangerously out of control whether that’s in public or private.

A dog is considered to be out of control if it:

injures someone

makes someone worried that it might injure them

A court could also decide that your dog is dangerously out of control if:

it attacks someone’s animal

the owner of an animal thinks they could be injured if they tried to stop your dog attacking their animal

Please note, a farmer is allowed to kill your dog if it’s worrying their livestock.

If you see a dog loose, please report this online.

If the dog seems to be out of control, let us know by calling 101.

Banned dogs

In the UK, it's against the law to own certain types of dog. Whether your dog is a banned type depends on what it looks like, rather than its breed or name.

It's a criminal offence to own or possess an XL Bully dog in England and Wales unless you have a valid Certificate of Exemption.

You can find more information about banned dogs.

If you think someone has or is breeding dogs, please report it online.

If you see a banned dog loose or it seems to be out of control, please report it online or call 101.