New Renters' Rights Act - Pets

The Renters' Rights Act received Royal Assent last year at the end of October, the new rules came into force in England on 1st May 2026.

The government states that private landlords cannot impose blanket "no pets" policies in tenancy agreements. 

Every single request must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.  

Under the updated legislation private tenants hold a legal right to request a pet and landlords are prohibited from implementing blanket no pet policies.

Government Update Here

Shelter Housing Advice Here 

New EU rules for pet travel

New EU rules for GB residents from the 22nd April 2026:

The changes, announced by the EU, apply to the non-commercial movement of pet dogs, cats and ferrets entering the EU from Great Britain.  

There are no major changes to pet travel requirements for re-entry into Great Britain.  

Key updates include: 

• GB residents should no longer use EU pet passports to travel into the EU. EU pet passports may now only be issued to people whose main home is in the EU and should not be used by people who have holiday homes in the EU or visit seasonally. EU pet passports issued to GB residents before 22 April 2026 may no longer be valid documents for entry to the EU. This means GB residents – even if they already have an EU pet passport – may need a different document to take their pet to the EU. To guarantee smooth travel, owners resident in Great Britain should get an Animal Health Certificate for their dog, cat or ferret(s) if they’re travelling from Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) to an EU country.    

Individual Member States may have specific pet travel requirements and pet owners should always check the specific entry requirements of the destination country before travel. 

GB residents are still able to use EU pet passports for their return journey to GB.  
Animal Health Certificates (AHCs) now last longer once you arrive, but they are still single‑use. Although you still need a new AHC for each trip from GB to the EU, the certificate can now be used for up to six months for onward travel within the EU and for re‑entering Great Britain, as long as rabies vaccinations remain valid. 

If someone else travels with your pet, extra paperwork is needed. If the owner is not travelling with the pet, the pet must travel within five days of the owner, and the person accompanying the animal must carry written permission from the owner. This permission must travel with the pet’s travel document. 

There is a new five‑pet limit per private vehicle. Non‑commercial travel into the EU is now limited to a maximum of five pets per private vehicle, rather than five per person. The existing limit of five pets for people travelling on foot stays the same. Exceptions apply for pets travelling to competitions, events or training, if specific conditions are met. 

An APHA spokesperson said:
From 22 April, new EU rules change how GB residents travel to the EU with their pets, but holidays with your pets are still possible. 
Anyone planning to travel should check guidance on GOV.UK, and the entry rules for their destination. 
To avoid delays and ensure a smooth journey, pet owners residing in Great Britain should get an Animal Health Certificate if they’re travelling from Great Britain to an EU country.

Information from https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-eu-rules-for-pet-travel-for-gb-residents

The Senedd votes to ban Greyhound racing in Wales

On March 17, 2026, the Senedd voted to ban greyhound racing in Wales, making it the first UK nation to take this step due to animal welfare concerns. The ban is set to take effect between April 2027 and April 2030, allowing for a phased shutdown.

The Bill will ban Greyhound racing in Wales: 

https://www.gov.wales/prohibition-greyhound-racing-wales-bill

A transition period to allow the industry to wind down responsibly, strengthen rehoming arrangements for retired greyhounds, and prepare enforcement bodies and local authorities for the change which will see the prohibition brought into effect between 1 April 2027 and 1 April 2030. 

The Bill reflects a clear policy choice: that the injuries, fatalities, and poor post-racing outcomes associated with greyhound racing can no longer be justified. Despite efforts within the industry, harm to greyhounds has remained a consistent reality. 

Huw Irranca-Davies, Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, said: 

Wales is a progressive nation, committed to ethical standards and forward-thinking legislation. This Bill strengthens our reputation as a leader on animal welfare and delivers the standards that the people of Wales rightly expect.

Thousands of members of the public, campaigners, and stakeholders contributed to shaping this legislation through campaigns, petitions, and personal testimony. Their voices have been central to its development.

Government response to Animal Sentience Committee's assessment-Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill

The Government has now responded to the Animal Sentience Committee's assessment of the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill, examining whether the government has fully considered the welfare of animals as sentient beings in relation to the Bill which has now become law.

The formal response is as below and can be found online here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-the-animal-sentience-committees-assessment-of-the-dogs-protection-of-livestock-amendment-bill

The Bill amends the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 (“the Act”). The amendments primarily focus on the following key areas:

modernising definitions in, and the scope of, the Act

strengthening police powers to support better enforcement

increasing the penalty for the offence of worrying livestock on agricultural land to an unlimited fine.

We note the Committee’s view that the Bill clearly enhances the welfare of livestock by increased protection measures and that adequate due regard has been given for the welfare of sentient animals in this policy.

We also note the Committee’s concerns about the potential negative impact of the welfare of dogs where they are seized and detained under the Act and the associated recommendations made by the Committee.

It is the Government’s view that addressing livestock worrying and reducing the number of incidents requires a balance to be struck between a range of factors, including the impact of livestock worrying on livestock welfare, the loss of livestock to farmers, the emotional impact of livestock incidents on farmers, dog welfare and the property rights of dog owners.

The Government considers that the new powers which the police will have through this Bill to seize and detain a dog where the police have reasonable grounds to believe there is a risk that a dog could attack or worry livestock are important tools to help address the risk of incidents of livestock attacks or livestock worrying.

The Government recognises potential negative impact on the welfare of dogs that are seized and detained under the Act for extended or frequent periods. Whilst the exercise of these new powers is a matter for the police, the Government would only expect dogs to be kennelled during a court case in exceptional circumstances where there are concerns of the dog attacking or worrying again.

The Government will keep the implementation of the Act under review.

We would like to thank the Committee for its consideration of the Bill.

Presented to Parliament pursuant to Section 3 of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022

New law changes come into force: Protection of Livestock

This week The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025 comes into force,  it updates the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953.

• The Act applies to England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland already have their own livestock worrying legislation.  
• To better reflect the seriousness of certain incidents, the law now distinguishes more clearly between a dog attacking livestock and a dog worrying livestock. This does not create new offences but helps ensure the law better captures the nature and severity of what has happened.  
• The law expands the definition of livestock currently afforded protection to include camelids (such as llamas and alpacas) that are commonly farmed. 
• The Act extends the locations covered to include roads and paths to cover incidents that may take place when animals are being moved, such as from one field to another. 
• The Act introduces a new defence for dog owners where their dog worries livestock whilst in someone else’s charge without their consent, such as if it had been stolen or taken without permission.
• Police will have new powers under the Act, including powers of seizure and detention, the power to take samples and impressions and powers of entry. 
• The Act introduces new court powers allowing a court to order an offender to pay expenses associated with seizing and detaining a dog.  
• The maximum penalty for an offence will be increased from a fine of up to £1,000 to an “unlimited” fine, to act as a deterrent.

Defra advice to dog owners:

• Follow The Countryside Code when visiting these areas
• Any dog is capable of livestock worrying - always keep dogs under control and in sight
• It is good practice to keep dogs on a lead when walking in rural areas where livestock are kept, but let go of the lead if chased by cattle
• Always follow local signs
• Report any incidents of livestock worrying to the police or local farmers
• Ensure dogs cannot escape from homes or gardens near livestock fields

Petition Update-Central Microchip Portal to help reunite missing pets

You can sign and re-post the petition here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/748648 open until 5th June 2026. 

At 100,000 signatures, the petition will be considered for debate in Parliament.

Now that the petition has reached over 10,000 signatures, the Government has issued a written response which can be read in full on the petition link.

Defra have stated:

Defra is currently working with the Association of Microchip Database Operators to develop commercial solutions that will provide easier access to microchip records for authorised users.

Since the introduction of compulsory dog microchipping in 2016, the number of compliant database operators has risen from 4 to 24. Whilst the growth in the number of database operators has resulted in more choice for consumers, it has made it harder for approved users such as vets to access records quickly.

To address this, as set out in the Animal welfare strategy for England,

(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/animal-welfare-strategy-for-england/animal-welfare-strategy-for-england)

Defra is working with the Association of Microchip Database Operators (AMDO) to develop improvements to the way the microchipping regime currently operates. AMDO is currently testing industry-led solutions that will enable authorised users to access information contained on the databases digitally through a single point of search.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Amendment Act coming into force

The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025 has received Royal Assent which makes it law, it will update the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act from 1953.

The new legislation will come into effect on Wednesday 18 March 2026 and applied to England and Wales.

The act: 

• is worded so that attacking livestock is treated separately from worrying livestock. This reframing helps make the violent nature of livestock attacks much clearer. It doesn’t create a new offence as both behaviours are already covered in the 1953 act, but it does make the distinction explicit 

• extends the law to cover livestock worrying and attacks that take place on roads and paths 

• includes camelids (as llamas and alpacas are commonly farmed) 

• introduces a new defence for dog owners to exempt them from liability where the dog was in the charge of another person at the time of the offence without the owner’s consent, for instance if the dog was stolen  

• introduces new powers allowing a court to order an offender to pay expenses associated with seizing and detaining a dog  

• provides a clear deterrent by increasing the penalty from a fine of up to £1,000 to an unlimited fine

In addition, the law gives police new and improved powers to improve their investigations, including: 

• the power to seize and detain a dog where they have reasonable grounds to believe there is a risk that the dog could attack or worry livestock again. The dog can be detained until an investigation has been carried out or, if proceedings are brought for an offence, until those proceedings have been determined or withdrawn 

• the power to take samples and impressions from a dog or livestock where the police have reasonable grounds to believe the dog has attacked or worried the livestock, and that a sample or impression might provide evidence of an offence. The sample or impression could then be used as evidence to support a prosecution 

• the powers to enter and search premises to identify, seize and detain a dog for the prevention of future incidents, to collect samples or impressions, or seize any other evidence