Review and reform laws on keeping wild animals as pets

Wild animals are inherently unsuited to life as pets, yet millions are kept in UK homes in conditions that fail to meet their complex welfare needs, with a growing trade and weak oversight. We call for urgent review and reform of laws on the keeping and trade of wild animals as pets.

The current legal framework is fragmented and outdated, failing to protect animal welfare, biodiversity and public health. Online trade and weak regulation are driving growth in the wild pet trade. We call on the Government to review and reform laws in England and Wales, introducing evidence-based measures to prevent harm, close loopholes, strengthen enforcement and meet UK commitments to animal welfare, biosecurity, conservation and public health.

The government published its Animal Welfare Strategy for England in December 2025, setting out its priorities for animal welfare until 2030. The government takes the keeping of wild animals seriously and is proud that the UK has some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world.

In England, wild animals are protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the 2006 Act) as well as other separate pieces of legislation. The 2006 Act makes it an offence to cause an animal, including a kept wild animal, unnecessary suffering, punishable by up to five years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. It is also an offence for a person to fail to take reasonable steps to meet the welfare needs of a kept wild animal, punishable by up to six months imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. Following a conviction, the court may also ban the offender from keeping animals and may order that their animals are removed from them.

Further to the general provisions of the 2006 Act, wild animals that are recognised as being dangerous to the general public must also be licensed under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 (the DWAA). Owners of animals listed in the Schedule to the DWAA must get a licence for that animal from their local authority. A local authority must only grant a licence if it is satisfied that the applicant is a suitable person; the animal's accommodation is suitable for the animal, clean and secure; and the animal is supplied with suitable food, drink and bedding, and visited at suitable intervals.

In addition, all primates kept privately in England are further protected by the Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024. Under the Regulations, which came into force on 6 April this year, private keepers require a specialist licence to keep a primate. Licences will be valid for a maximum of three years, with at least one inspection per licensing period. Local authorities will enforce the standards and ensure welfare standards are being maintained. Licence holders must also undergo reassessment if they wish to renew their licence. Where a primate is also listed in the Schedule to the DWAA, the keeper is required to get both a DWAA licence and a primate licence. As outlined in the government’s Animal Welfare Strategy for England, we will work with local authorities and support them to effectively implement and enforce the primate licensing scheme.