{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-northern-ireland-order-1976/article-10",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-northern-ireland-order-1976/article-10.json",
  "legislation": "nisi/1976/1040",
  "legislation_title": "Animals (Northern Ireland) Order 1976",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/animals-northern-ireland-order-1976",
  "path": "article/10",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "10",
  "heading": "Animals wandering onto the public road",
  "text": "(1) Where an animal is found wandering on any public road, and its owner is not known, any member of the police force may impound it with some suitable person and agree to pay him such an amount as is reasonable in the circumstances for keeping and feeding the animal.\n(2) When an animal is impounded under paragraph (1) a notice describing the animal and stating where it was found shall forthwith be posted, and shall be kept posted for fourteen days, in a conspicuous position outside the nearest police station.\n(3) Subject to paragraph (4), if the owner of the animal has not been ascertained within fourteen days after it has been impounded an officer of the police force may cause it to be sold at a market or by public auction.\n(4) The officer shall keep posted outside the police station and outside the premises where the animal is to be sold, for at least forty-eight hours before the time of the sale, a notice stating the time of the sale and describing the animal and where it was found.\n(5) The officer shall pay out of the proceeds of the sale—\n(a) to the person who kept the animal, the amount agreed upon for keeping and feeding it; and\n(b) the expenses (if any) of the sale.\n(6) If the owner of the animal is ascertained within six months from the date of the sale the balance of the proceeds of the sale shall be paid to him; otherwise the balance of the proceeds of the sale shall be applied in the same manner as is provided for with respect to fines by section 20 of the Administration of Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 1954 c.9, and the owner shall have no claim in respect of it.\n(7) If the owner of the animal is ascertained before the sale, he shall be entitled to receive the animal on paying to the officer the amount agreed upon for keeping and feeding it and any expenses which may have been incurred with a view to selling the animal, but if the owner refuses or fails to pay the amount or expenses, the animal shall be sold in accordance with this Article.\n(8) So much of the amount agreed upon for keeping and feeding the animal and the expenses (if any) of the sale, as exceeds the proceeds of the sale shall be defrayed as expenses of the Police Authority for Northern Ireland.\n(9) In this Article—\n“officer” means a member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary holding the rank of inspector or a higher rank.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "1998 c. 32"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1976/1040/article/10",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T04:53:50.294273+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "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."
}