British Animal Welfare Legal System, A Comparative Study

With the development of the society, the progress of the civilization and the promotion of the morality of human beings, more and more people share the idea of protecting animals to achieve the harmonious co-existence between men and animals. However, it is realized that the current animal protection laws cannot fully protect animals by the cruelties to animals happed in recent years such as injuring bears with sulphoacid, drawing gallbladder from live bears, water injection to live pigs and cruelty to cat. Thus animal welfare laws attract more and more attention. This paper first analyzes the characteristics of the animal welfare law to indicate that only the animal welfare law could protect animals and their welfare. Then the paper presents the animal welfare laws of the UK. In order to protect the welfare of different types of animals, the UK has made laws respectively for farmed animals, experimental animals, companion animals, working animals, entertainment animals and wildlife. On the basis of this, the paper makes a comparison of the animal welfare laws of the UK and China in terms of legal principle and specific laws. The comparison of legal principle includes the religious and social basis, history and evolution, guiding ideology, legal system, implementation, flexibility and the importance attached to animal welfare. The comparison of specific laws focuses on the laws and regulations regarding different kinds of animals. Finally, with reference to the animal welfare laws of the UK, the paper puts forward its...