“Animals, like humans, are living beings and are capable of experiencing various degrees of pain and suffering, and hence they deserve attention, care and protection by man”. This is the preamble to Act No 246/1992 Coll., on the protection of animals against cruelty, the basic law related to animal protection governing the activities of all the state authorities of animal protection in the Czech Republic, such as the Ministry of Agriculture, including the Central Commission for Animal Welfare, and the veterinary administration authorities.
The Act prohibits the cruelty to animals as well as all forms of promoting cruelty to animals. The purpose of this Act is to protect animals, which are living beings capable of experiencing pain and suffering, against cruelty, damage to their health and killing without any reason whatsoever, if caused by man, even if by negligence.
The Act defines the activities which are considered to constitute cruelty to animals, the reasons for killing an animal, it regulates the protection of animals during killing, the use of anaesthesia, the protection of animals at a public performance and the obligations of organisers of such events, the protection of animals during transport. The Act lays down the conditions which shall be met in breeding farm animals and companion animals, the conditions of breeding and protection of experimental animals and requirements for the protection of wild animals. The Act also defines the animal protection authorities and their sphere of competence as well as the administrative delicts and infractions in the field of animal protection.
