Animal Health Act 1981: Expenditure and Prosecutions 2025

Formal enforcement actions under the Animal Health Act 1981 and other animal health and welfare legislation by local authorities in 2025

Convictions achieved under the Animal Health Act 1981 and other animal health and welfare legislation

Number of visits and enforcement action taken

Notes:

1. This is the number of welfare visit undertaken that were programmed, part of planned interventions or projects, or in response to complaints.

2. This is the number of visits where biosecurity has been considered separately, out with a general market or farm visit.

Number of complaints, service requests and livestock animals inspected

Notes:

1. This is the number of requests or complaints received that have required action or investigation by local authority animal health and welfare officers.

2. This figure includes requests for service from consumers (not complaints), businesses and other agencies.

3. This is the total number of animals that were inspected or assessed in markets and other premises or holdings. This will include animals inspected for fitness, identification or health at markets and does not require that an examination takes place.

Summary of alternative enforcement interventions taken

Many local authorities (LAs) reported attending the numerous local and national agricultural shows and Highland Games. Whilst in attendance, they also checked transport vehicles and the identification of agricultural animals, to ensure compliance with movement regulations.

LAs also participated and liaised with many others including Police Scotland, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division (RPID), the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA), other multi-agency groups, e.g. rural crime group, as well as LAs working with each other collaboratively across borders.

Some of the work with APHA and RPID was on a planned and reactive basis, such as for licensing/inspection of market premises, and to minimise duplication of interventions/visits. Some of the work with Police Scotland related to visits on welfare matters and to farm premises. In some instances, RPID and APHA have been working with LAs to help them submit a welfare report to the Procurator Fiscal.

Other interventions included:

• Attending multi-agency market days and weekly visits to the local auction mart and transport lairage, with any issues or updates discussed at the time with staff and farmers.
• LAs continue to have regular meetings with operational staff from the SSPCA and to liaise with relevant staff within Police Scotland.
• Working with APHA, RPID, local veterinarians, Housing and Social Workers, where appropriate, to tackle issues and secure improvements, in advance of having to initiate formal measures to seize livestock.
• Attending a series of enhanced surveillance visits to monitor and attempt to ensure the welfare of animals whilst evidence was gathered and reports were submitted to the Procurator Fiscal. This included cattle seizures and subsequent humane culling and disposal of these animals.
• Attending animal feed visits, which are used to monitor welfare and identification/traceability of livestock.
• Working with RPID, Police Scotland, APHA and private forestry/landowners to address feral pig introductions.
• Collaborative working with other local authorities and agencies through animal health and welfare panel meetings, the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy Group, the Framework Group, the Markets Working Group and other similar forums.
• Continued maintenance of a carcase incinerator for the disposal of Anthrax suspect material, which was a resource shared with other local authorities (this was superseded in autumn 2025, as the incinerator is now decommissioned – alternative arrangements have now been put in place by APHA, with mobile “pyre kits” available to all LAs).
• Specific work with the sector and a ferry operator to minimise the possible disruption of markets and transportation of livestock, associated with ferry disruptions and late alterations to timetables.
• Ongoing collaborative work with APHA, RPID and the Scottish Government Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) eradication scheme to work with all farmers to improve those with poor record keeping, sheep and cattle identification issues, biosecurity and welfare concerns.
• Specific alternative enforcement work carried out via council websites and social media to promote awareness of animal health and welfare issues. This includes updates and advice on avian influenza, promotion of the new poultry (and other captive birds) registration system, advice on bluetongue virus (BTV) and other animal diseases.
• Proactive engagement (direct and via targeted communications), improving awareness of BVD, BTV, highly pathogenic avian influenza and sheep scab.
• One LA convinced an operator of an over-stocked animal sanctuary to give up a number of animals voluntarily, including parrots, lovebirds and a red-eared slider terrapin (reported to the non-native species secretariat).
• Training and resilience for Animal Health Officers. There has been, and there continues to be a commitment over 2026-28 to supporting new staffing arrangements and developing trainees into Authorised Officers and ultimately Animal Health and Welfare Officers with full powers of enforcement.
• Inspections of dog breeding premises.
• Attending regular panel meetings to liaise with other local authority staff and carrying out joint visits where necessary with APHA.
• Ahead of the 2026 lambing season, LAs are assisting rural crime teams, a multi-agency initiative, in distributing signage to reduce dog worrying.
• Issued letters to all registered keepers regarding straying livestock.
• Regular email updates to animal keepers/farms, informing them about the preventive measures to be taken in cases of high risk of outbreak of disease, i.e. avian influenza.
• A multi-organisation symposium was organised and executed in August 2025, which was a huge success and included colleagues from the Scottish Government, the Moredun Research Institute, RPID, APHA, LAs, Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RSABI) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS).

Notes: Alternative interventions are recorded to highlight additional work and areas covered. This may include attendance at agricultural shows, National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS) meetings; joint initiatives with APHA, Police Scotland and SGRPID; leaflets and information etc.

Key Performance Measure

High Risk Visits

Average of high risk programmed visits inspected: 58.9%

Notes: This is the figure for High Risk agricultural premises visited by local authorities, but also includes visits that have not been carried out as a result of these premises being visited by APHA staff as part of their pre-planned visit plan. As a result, this prevents penalising local authorities who are using a joined-up approach to prevent double visits by different enforcers for similar purposes.