Crime reduction 

Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996

All mammals are protected from deliberate acts of cruelty.

Under this legislation, any person who mutilates kicks, beats, nails or otherwise impales, stabs, burns, stones, crushes, drowns, drags or asphyxiates a wild mammal with intent to inflict unnecessary suffering is guilty of an offence.

The maximum penalty for this can be a fine of up to £5,000 and/or six months imprisonment for each offence.

An offence is not committed by someone who:

• Kills a wild mammal as an act of mercy if it has been so seriously disabled – other than by an unlawful act – that there is no reasonable chance of its recovery.
• Kills, in a swift and humane way, a mammal injured in the course of any lawful activity, such as shooting, hunting, coursing or pest control using snares, traps, dogs, birds or poisons.

Under the Act, police officers may stop and search any person, their vehicle and possessions where there are reasonable grounds for suspecting the individual of committing an offence. Anything which may be evidence of the offence will be seized.