Abandonment of Animals Act 1960

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{{Infobox UK legislation

| short_title = Abandonment of Animals Act 1960

| type = Act

| parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom

| long_title = An Act to prohibit the abandonment of animals; and for purposes connected therewith.

| year = 1960

| citation = 8 & 9 Eliz. 2. c. 43

| introduced_commons =

| introduced_lords =

| territorial_extent = Great Britain (England and Wales, Scotland)

| royal_assent = 2 June 1960

| commencement =

| expiry_date =

| repeal_date = 8 November 2006

| amends = {{ubli|Protection of Animals Act 1911|Protection of Animals (Scotland) Act 1912}}

| replaces =

| amendments =

| repealing_legislation = {{ubli|Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006|Animal Welfare Act 2006}}

| related_legislation =

| status = repealed

| legislation_history =

| theyworkforyou =

| millbankhansard =

| original_text = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/8-9/43/enacted

| revised_text =

| use_new_UK-LEG = yes

| UK-LEG_title =

| collapsed =

}}

The Abandonment of Animals Act 1960 (8 & 9 Eliz. 2. c. 43) was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It received royal assent on 2 June 1960.

The Act made it a criminal offence to abandon an animal, or permit it to be abandoned, "in circumstances likely to cause the animal any unnecessary suffering". The offence was treated as "cruelty" within the terms of the Protection of Animals Act 1911 section 1 subsection 1, which as amended currently provides for a fine or up to six months imprisonment on conviction.

The Act extends to England and Wales, and Scotland, but not to Northern Ireland.

The Act was repealed in England and Wales by the Animal Welfare Act 2006,{{cite web|title=Animal Welfare Act 2006: Schedule 4: Repeals|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/45/schedule/4|website=legislation.gov.uk|publisher=The National Archives on behalf of HM Government|accessdate=28 January 2015}} and in Scotland by the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.