Protection of Animals (Anaesthetics) Acts 1954 & 1964

Under this legislation, the term "animal" does not include "fowl or other bird, fish or reptile". Otherwise it does include all other vertebrates.

The spirit of this legislation is to prevent any painful operation being carried out on any animal without the appropriate anaesthetic being administered. With the exception of some routine agricultural operations, anaesthetics would normally only be administered by a registered veterinary surgeon. Unless the treatment administered to a wild animal comes within the category of "first-aid"
(see Veterinary Surgeons Act above), no person will carry out any operation on any captive wild animal without having regard to this legislation and the Animal Welfare Act 2006.