Regulation 18 Setting free and re-homing protected animals

After section 17 insert—

“Setting free and re-homing protected animals

17A

(1)

A person who holds a licence under this Act must not set free a relevant protected animal, or permit any person acting on their behalf to do so, unless—

(a)

the Secretary of State has consented to the setting free of the animal; or

(b)

the animal is set free during the course of a series of regulated procedures.

(2)

A person who holds a licence under this Act must not re-home a relevant protected animal, or permit any person acting on their behalf to do so, unless the Secretary of State has consented to the re-homing of the animal.

(3)

The Secretary of State must not consent to the setting free or re-homing of a relevant protected animal unless satisfied—

(a)

that the animal’s state of health allows it to be set free or re-homed;

(b)

that the setting free or re-homing of the animal poses no danger to public health, animal health or the environment;

(c)

that there is an adequate scheme in place for ensuring the socialisation of the animal upon being set free or re-homed; and

(d)

that other appropriate measures have been taken to safeguard the animal’s well-being upon being set free or re-homed.

(4)

The Secretary of State must not consent to the setting free of a relevant protected animal which has been taken from the wild unless the Secretary of State is also satisfied that the animal has undergone a programme of rehabilitation or that it would be inappropriate for the animal to be required to undergo such a programme.

(5)

For the purposes of this section—

(a)

“relevant protected animal” has the same meaning as in section 15A(11);

(b)

a reference to a person who holds a licence under this Act includes a reference to a person who held a licence under this Act which is no longer in force;

(c)

an animal is not to be treated as being “re-homed” if it is moved to live in a place which is for the time being specified in a section 2C licence.”