{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-act-1971",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-act-1971.json",
  "id": "ukpga/1971/22",
  "title": "Animals Act 1971",
  "long_title": "An Act to make provision with respect to civil liability for damage done by animals and with respect to the protection of livestock from dogs; and for purposes connected with those matters.",
  "citation": "1971 c. 22",
  "type": "ukpga",
  "year": "1971",
  "number": "22",
  "version": "current",
  "date": "1971-05-12",
  "revised": true,
  "valid_from": "2015-05-26",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "unapplied_effects": 0,
  "provisions": [
    {
      "path": "introduction",
      "kind": "introduction",
      "number": null,
      "heading": "Introductory text",
      "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-act-1971/introduction",
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": null
    },
    {
      "path": "crossheading/strict-liability-for-damage-done-by-animals",
      "kind": "crossheading",
      "number": null,
      "heading": "Strict liability for damage done by animals",
      "url": null,
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": null
    },
    {
      "path": "section/1",
      "kind": "section",
      "number": "1",
      "heading": "New provisions as to strict liability for damage done by animals.",
      "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-act-1971/section-1",
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": "crossheading/strict-liability-for-damage-done-by-animals"
    },
    {
      "path": "section/2",
      "kind": "section",
      "number": "2",
      "heading": "Liability for damage done by dangerous animals.",
      "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-act-1971/section-2",
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": "crossheading/strict-liability-for-damage-done-by-animals"
    },
    {
      "path": "section/3",
      "kind": "section",
      "number": "3",
      "heading": "Liability for injury done by dogs to livestock.",
      "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-act-1971/section-3",
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": "crossheading/strict-liability-for-damage-done-by-animals"
    },
    {
      "path": "section/4",
      "kind": "section",
      "number": "4",
      "heading": "Liability for damage and expenses due to trespassing livestock.",
      "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-act-1971/section-4",
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": "crossheading/strict-liability-for-damage-done-by-animals"
    },
    {
      "path": "section/4A",
      "kind": "section",
      "number": "4A",
      "heading": "Liability for damage and expenses due to horses on land in England without lawful authority",
      "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-act-1971/section-4A",
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": "crossheading/strict-liability-for-damage-done-by-animals"
    },
    {
      "path": "section/5",
      "kind": "section",
      "number": "5",
      "heading": "Exceptions from liability under sections 2 to 4A.",
      "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-act-1971/section-5",
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": "crossheading/strict-liability-for-damage-done-by-animals"
    },
    {
      "path": "section/6",
      "kind": "section",
      "number": "6",
      "heading": "Interpretation of certain expressions used in sections 2 to 5.",
      "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-act-1971/section-6",
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": "crossheading/strict-liability-for-damage-done-by-animals"
    },
    {
      "path": "crossheading/detention-and-sale-of-trespassing-livestock",
      "kind": "crossheading",
      "number": null,
      "heading": "Detention and sale of trespassing livestock",
      "url": null,
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": null
    },
    {
      "path": "section/7",
      "kind": "section",
      "number": "7",
      "heading": "Detention and sale of trespassing livestock.",
      "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-act-1971/section-7",
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": "crossheading/detention-and-sale-of-trespassing-livestock"
    },
    {
      "path": "section/7A",
      "kind": "section",
      "number": "7A",
      "heading": "Power of local authorities in England to detain horses",
      "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-act-1971/section-7A",
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": "crossheading/detention-and-sale-of-trespassing-livestock"
    },
    {
      "path": "section/7B",
      "kind": "section",
      "number": "7B",
      "heading": "Powers of freeholders and occupiers in England to detain horses",
      "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-act-1971/section-7B",
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": "crossheading/detention-and-sale-of-trespassing-livestock"
    },
    {
      "path": "section/7C",
      "kind": "section",
      "number": "7C",
      "heading": "Detention of horses under sections 7A and 7B",
      "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-act-1971/section-7C",
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": "crossheading/detention-and-sale-of-trespassing-livestock"
    },
    {
      "path": "crossheading/animals-straying-on-to-highway",
      "kind": "crossheading",
      "number": null,
      "heading": "Animals straying on to highway",
      "url": null,
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": null
    },
    {
      "path": "section/8",
      "kind": "section",
      "number": "8",
      "heading": "Duty to take care to prevent damage from animals straying on to the highway.",
      "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-act-1971/section-8",
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": "crossheading/animals-straying-on-to-highway"
    },
    {
      "path": "crossheading/protection-of-livestock-against-dogs",
      "kind": "crossheading",
      "number": null,
      "heading": "Protection of livestock against dogs",
      "url": null,
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": null
    },
    {
      "path": "section/9",
      "kind": "section",
      "number": "9",
      "heading": "Killing of or injury to dogs worrying livestock.",
      "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-act-1971/section-9",
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": "crossheading/protection-of-livestock-against-dogs"
    },
    {
      "path": "crossheading/supplemental",
      "kind": "crossheading",
      "number": null,
      "heading": "Supplemental",
      "url": null,
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": null
    },
    {
      "path": "section/10",
      "kind": "section",
      "number": "10",
      "heading": "Application of certain enactments to liability under sections 2 to 4A.",
      "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-act-1971/section-10",
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": "crossheading/supplemental"
    },
    {
      "path": "section/11",
      "kind": "section",
      "number": "11",
      "heading": "General interpretation.",
      "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-act-1971/section-11",
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": "crossheading/supplemental"
    },
    {
      "path": "section/12",
      "kind": "section",
      "number": "12",
      "heading": "Application to Crown.",
      "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-act-1971/section-12",
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": "crossheading/supplemental"
    },
    {
      "path": "section/13",
      "kind": "section",
      "number": "13",
      "heading": "Short title, repeal, commencement and extent.",
      "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-act-1971/section-13",
      "extent": null,
      "status": null,
      "parent": "crossheading/supplemental"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/22",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T17:33:54.861292+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
    "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
  }
}