Our dedicated Animal Welfare team, within the Environmental Health department, is responsible for enforcing the wide range of legislation in the UK designed to protect the health and welfare of both domesticated and wild animals. We are dedicated to protecting our Havant animal residents.
Animal health and welfare legislation is enforced jointly by local authorities and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), in association with other government bodies and independent organisations, such as the RSPCA.
Any person responsible for an animal, either permanently or temporarily, has a legal duty to ensure they are meeting all of the needs of that animal as required by good practice. This is covered in the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Different animals have different needs, but all reasonable steps must be taken to provide the most basic care, including:
Failing to provide for the needs of any animal or causing an animal unnecessary suffering is an offence and anyone found guilty of this offence may be banned from owning animals and/or face a large fine and/or imprisonment. You can read more about caring for pets and reporting animal cruelty on the GOV.UK website.
The Act also covers other offences such as:
If you have any animal welfare concerns within the Borough, please report them to the Animal Welfare Team on 02392 446640.
The Council has a duty under section 149 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to collect and detain stray dogs. Please see our lost and found dogs webpage for more information.
The microchipping of dogs has been a legal requirement since April 2016. You must:
The new 2023 regulations introduced a legal requirement for cats to be microchipped from 10 June 2024. This means that:
Microchipping a dog or cat is a quick and simple procedure. The chip is inserted under your pet’s skin, usually around the scruff of the neck, using a needle. Once the microchip is implanted, it will last for your pet's lifetime. Your pet can be checked for a microchip using a handheld scanner, which will recognise the unique number held inside the chip. Keeping your pet's microchip details up to date will allow you to be contacted if your pet goes missing. You can read more about microchipping on the PDSA’s website.
Neutering is a routine procedure that involves removing your pet’s sex organs to prevent unwanted pregnancies, pregnancy related illness, and conditions such as testicular, ovarian, and mammary cancers. The male procedure is called castration, and the female procedure is called spaying.
The Council encourages dog and cat owners to consider the benefits of neutering their pet and consult their vet on when is the most appropriate time to do so. You can read more about neutering dogs and cats on the PDSA’s website. Some charities, including Cats Protection and the RSPCA, can offer financial assistance with the cost of neutering.
Please see our animal licensing webpage for more information on the types of licences required for certain activities.
The Council has collated a number of useful guidance and advice documents for pet owners from reputable sources. These can be found below:
The Council has produced guidance for customers on what to do if they find an injured, distressed or dead animal. This guidance covers domestic animals such as dogs and cats, livestock, wild animals and marine animals.
You can report a dead animal on a public road or council-owned land using the contact us form.