What does banned from keeping animals actually mean.

Ok this may sound silly, I know that if you are banned from keeping animals you can't own them, but you can live in a house with a animal that belongs to someone else what about looking after animals for someone else, like if they go on holiday? Or doing something like walking a dog, I mean isn't this something that the person who is banned can keep hidden so to speak, can move but still be in contact with animals? As unless they say who would know? Do the police or RSPCA keep check on them, make sure that they don't own any animals, and if they did how could if be proved if they live in a house with other people that they actually own the animal, not the other person?

Does being banned from keeping animals do enough to protect animals? I mean does it even have to come up in things like CV's, as I'm not sure, so could someone who is banned from keeping animals eventually end up working with them? And is there something that can be done to help protect animals more?

Hi,

Very good thread. It's something I've often wondered myself but I doubt there's enough done to protect animals to be honest.

After all, for the police and/or RSPCA (or whoever brings the prosecution) to enforce such banning orders, they'd have to stay on top of things and both organisations would claim they don't have the resources to do spot checks.

Having said that, nationally how many such orders are in force at any one time? I don't beleive there are so many that either or both organisation would be overwhelmed by doing checks every couple of months.

Having been int he POlice I knwo how they work. There are some exceptional officers (in West Mids anyway) who work very hard. But there are just as many (not a minority by any means) who are lazy, power drunk and should never have the privilege or wearing a uniform. But as with everything, it takes only one bad publicity report to completely destroy a hard earned reputation.

With the RSCPA, since Yiannis was attacked last September, they didn't want to know. The police weren't interested either and I'm still waiting for info from both regarding my complaints int he way they DIDN'T handle what was a prosecution for both.

At the moment, I don't think much of either. I'm sure they could cope with the workload even though they say they couldn't, or wouldn't.

I suppose to an extent, if these people were banned from working with or having children in their company, checks are made. It's only because our animals are seen as personal posessions in law, IMO and not living, breathing beings with thoughts and feelings of their own, that they are treated differently.
Otherwise there would be an argument for anyone banned from keeping animals to be entered onto a register like the sex offenders register) where they have to go regularly to sign on sometimes, they have to let the relevant authorities know if they move house etc.

I can't forsee anything happening in the near though.

Laura xx

I did wonder whether some sort of register would help too, with spot checks, but then I doubt the goverment would be happy 'wasting resources' or something, to me its like we are seen as a nation of animal lovers, but then not enough is done to protect those we claim to love, I don't see either why police or RSPCA inspectors couldn't do checks, as surely if you are banned, and then keep animals you are breaking the law? Which is a police matter, so surely the police should want to tackle this? And the RSPCA are there to protect animals, people who are banned from having animals generally do not care a lot for them, as they are banned for a reason, so I would of thought that the RSPCA would want to avoid any chance that another animal would suffer at the hands of those banned?

I've often wondered about this too and how many people slip through the net. All too easily there are ads in shops advertising small furries etc. How would anyone know if someone who was banned had a hamster for example. If I went into say PAH to buy say a rat, would they take my details to check with any organistaion, or would they just sell me the animal? Even dog breeders, do they have somewhere they can check?