Draft Regulations  laid before Parliament under section 61(2)  of the Animal Welfare  Act 2006 , for 
approval by resolution of each House of Parliament.  
D R A F T  ST A T U T O R Y  I N S T R U M E N T S  
2022 No.  
ANIMALS, ENGLAND  
ANIM AL WELF ARE  
The Animal Welfare (Electronic Col lars) (England) Re gulati ons 
2022 
 
Made - - - - *** 
Coming into force  in accordance with regulation 1(2)  
 
The Secretary of State is , in relation to England, the appropriate national authority for the  purpose 
of exercis ing the powers conferred by section  12 of the Animal Welfa re Act 2006 (a), and makes 
the following Regulat ions in exercise of those powers.  
 
In accordance with section 12(6) of that Act, the Secretary of State has consulted such persons 
appearing to the Secretary of  State  to repres ent interest s with which these Re gulations are 
concerned as the Secretary of State considered appropriate.  
 
In accordanc e with section 61(2) of that Act, a draft of this instrument has been laid before, and 
approv ed by a resolution  of, each House  of Parliam ent. 
 
Citation, commenc ement  and ex tent 
1.—(1) These Regulations  may be cited  as the Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) (England) 
Regulations 202 2. 
(2) These Regulations  come in to force on the first day following  the expiry of a period o f six 
months beginni ng on the day on which  they are made.  
(3) These Regulations extend to En gland and Wales.  
Offences re lating to the a ttach ment of an electronic col lar to a cat or dog 
2.—(1) A person commits an offence  if— 
 
(a) 2006 c. 45.  Section 62(1) provides that the app ropriate national aut hority i n relation to England is the Secretary of State.   
 2 (a) the person is responsible for a cat or dog; and 
(b) the person — 
(i) attach es an electronic coll ar to the cat or dog  in Engla nd; or 
(ii) cause s an electronic collar to be attached to  the cat or dog  in Engla nd. 
(2) A person commits an offence if — 
(a) the person is responsible for a cat or dog ; and  
(b) at any time when t he person is respon sible for th e cat or dog — 
(i) the cat or dog is wearing an electronic collar ; and 
(ii) the p erson is  in poss ession  of a r emote -control device in England which is designed  
or adapted for acti vating the electronic collar remotely . 
(3) Paragraph s (1) and (2) do not apply in relation to any conduct of a member of th e armed 
forces that is neces sary for defe nce purposes.  
(4) In this regul ation — 
“Act” mean s the Animal Welfare Act 2006 ; 
“armed forces ” means Her Ma jesty ’s forces  (within the meaning  of the Armed Fo rces Act 
2006 )(a); 
“collar” means a collar, a harne ss or any it em which may be worn by a cat or dog; 
“electronic collar” means a co llar with an integrated electronic device that may be activated 
remotely by a person so as to send an electric current f rom t he collar to the cat or dog  that is 
wearing the collar . 
(5) In parag raphs (1) and  (2), the ref erence s to a person who is responsible for a cat or dog  are to 
be read in acc ordanc e with  section 3 of the Act .  
(6) In paragraph ( 3), the reference to any conduct that i s necessary for defence purposes includes 
any conduct in the interests of national security  or public safety or for  the prevention or detec tion 
of serious crime.  
Penalty  
3. A perso n guilty of an of fence under regulation 2 is liable on summary conviction to a  fine. 
Power of local authority to prosecute offences  
4. A local authority may pros ecute an o ffence under regulation 2. 
Post-conviction pow ers 
5.—(1) The foll owing sections  of the Act ap ply in relation to a conviction for an offence under 
regulation 2— 
(a) section 33  (deprivat ion); 
(b) section 34 (disqu alific ation);  
(c) section 35 (seizure of ani mals in connection  with dis qualific ation);  
(d) section 36 (se ction 35: supp lementa ry); 
(e) section 41 (orders unde r section 33, 35, 37, 38 or 40: pending app eals)  in so  far as it 
applies to an order  under section 33 or 35 ; 
(f) section 43 (termination of disqu alification under section 34 or 42) in so far as it applies to 
disqualification  under s ection 3 4; 
 
(a) 2006 c. 52.   
 3 (g) section 44 (order s made on conviction for re imbursement of ex penses) in so far as it 
applies to an  order  made under s ection 33(4) (e) or 36(1) (e); 
(h) section 45 (orders fo r reimburseme nt of e xpenses : right of ap peal for non -offen ders) in so 
far as i t applies to an order made u nder section 36(1) (e). 
(2) In the application of those sec tions to a convict ion for a n offe nce under r egulation 2 , section s 
33(1) and 34(1) of the Act are  to be read as if they in cluded a reference  to a person who has been 
convicte d of an of fence under regulat ion 2.  
(3) In this regulation, “Act” has the same meaning as it has in regulation 2 .   
 
 Name  
 Minister of State  
Date Department  for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs  
 
 
 
EXPLANATORY NOTE  
(This note is not pa rt of the Regula tions ) 
These regulations  make provis ion for the p urpose of pr eventing  the use of electron ic collars in 
England .  
Regulation 2 (1) makes it an offence for a person who is respon sible for a c at or dog to attach an 
electronic colla r, or cause an electronic col lar to be attached, to the cat or dog in England.  
Regulation 2( 2) provi des that a person comm its an offence  if, at any time when the person is 
responsible  for a cat or dog, the cat or dog is wearing an electronic collar  and the pers on is in 
possession of a remote -control device in England which is designed or adapted for activating the 
electro nic collar remotely . 
Regulation 3 provides  that the offences unde r regulation 2 are summary -only offences and that a 
person convicted of an off ence under regulation 2 is liable to a fine.  
Regulation 4 provi des that a local  authority may  prosecute an offenc e under regulation 2 and 
regulation 5 provides for various post -conviction powers in the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to be 
exercisable in relation to offences  under regulation 2.  
A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument  as no, or no s ignificant, impact 
on the private, volunt ary or public sector is fore seen.