Animal Rights-Humane History Timeline: Antiquity » Medieval » Renaissance » Enlightenment » Romantic Age » Victorian Age » Early 20th c.
Animal Rights Activists • Animal Rights Quotes • Animal Rights Law • Humane Education • Historical Literature Library • Free Full Text eBooks Primary Sources Against Cruelty to Animals: A » B » C » D » E » F » G » H » I » J » K » L » M » N » O » P » Q » R » S » T » U » V » W » X » Y » Z

Animal Rights History Timeline » [1837-1901] Victorian Age » Animal Rights Law

London Police Act 1839

Great Britian Parliament

[2 & 3 Vicoria cap. xciv.] An Act for Regulating the Police in the City of London

Penalties for "fighting or baiting lions, bears, badgers, cocks, dogs, or other animals;" Prohibits nuisances in thoroughfares including 1. Display of animals for show or sale; feeding, foddering, shoeing, bleeding, farrying, cleaning, dressing, exercising, training or breaking any animal 2. Turning loose any Horse, Cattle or unmuzzled ferocious Dog, or urging any dog or other Animal to attack, worry, or put in fear any person, horse, or other Animal: 3. by Negligence or Ill-usage in driving Cattle shall cause any Mischief to be done by such Cattle, and also every Person not being hired or employed to drive such Cattle who shall wantonly and unlawfully pelt, drive, or hunt any such Cattle; Prohibits dog carts; Allows for destruction of rabid animals by police.

[1839-Aug-17 ] "An Act for Regulating the Police in the City of London," in The Statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 2 & 3 Victoria, 1839 (London, 1839; Google Books: Online Library of Free eBooks) 551-85.

XXXI. [Places used for Bear-baiting, Cock-fighting, &c.] And be it further enacted, That every Person who within the City of London and the Liberties thereof shall keep or use or act in the Management of any House, Room, Pit, or other Place for the Purpose of fighting or baiting Lions, Bears, Badgers, Cocks, Dogs, or other Animals, shall be liable to a Penalty not more than Five Pounds, or, in the Discretion of any Justice, may be committed to the House of Correction, with or without hard Labour, for a Time not more than One Calendar Month; and it shall be lawful for any Justice or the said Commissioner, by Order in Writing, to authorize any Superintendent belonging to the said Police Force, with such Constables as he shall think necessary, to enter any Premises kept or used for any of the Purposes aforesaid, and take into Custody all Persons who shall be found therein without lawful Excuse; and every Person so found shall be liable to a Penalty not more than Five Shillings; and a Conviction under this Act of this Offence shall not exempt the Owner, Keeper, or Manager and such House, Room, Pit, or Place from any Penalty or penal Consequence to which he may be liable for the Nuisance thereby occasioned.

XXXV. [Prohibition of Nuisances by Persons in the Thoroughfares.] And be it further enacted, That every person who within the City of London and the Liberties thereof, shall commit any of the following Offences in any Thoroughfare or other public Place, shall be liable to a Penalty not more than Forty Shillings for every such Offence; (that is to say,)

1. Every Person who shall, to the Annoyance of the Inhabitants or Passengers, expose for Show or Sale (except in a Market lawfully appointed of that Purpose) or feed or fodder any Horse or other Animal, or show any Caravan containing any Animal, or any other Show or public Entertainment, or shoe, bleed, or farry any Horse or Animal (except in Cases of Accident), or clean, dress, exercise, train, or break any Horse or Animal, or clean, make, or repair any Part of any Cart of Carriage, except in Cases of Accident where Repair on the Spot is necessary:

2. Every Person who shall turn loose any Horse or Cattle, or suffer to be at large any unmuzzled ferocious Dog, or set on or urge any Dog or other Animal to attack, worry, or put in fear any Person, Horse, or other Animal:

3. Every Person who by Negligence or Ill-usage in driving Cattle shall cause any Mischief to be done by such Cattle, or who shall in anywise misbehave himself in the driving, Care, or Management of such Cattle, and also every Person not being hired or employed to drive such Cattle who shall wantonly and unlawfully pelt, drive, or hunt any such Cattle:

4. Every Person having the Care of any Cart or Carriage who shall ride on any Part thereof, on the Shafts, or on any Horse or other Animal drawing the same, without having and holding the Reins, or who shall be at such a Distance from such Cart or Carriage as not to have the complete Control over every Horse or other Animal drawing the same:

5. Every Person who shall ride or drive furiously, or so as to endanger the Life or Limb of any person, or to the common Danger of the Passengers in any Thoroughfare:

6.Every Person who shall cause any Car, public Carriage, Sledge, Truck, or Barrow, with or without Horses, to stand longer than may be necessary for loading or unloading, or for taking up or setting down Passengers, except Hackney Carriages standing for Hire in any Place not forbidden by Law, or who by means of any Car, Carriage, Sledge, Truck, or Barrow, or any Horse or other Animal, shall wilfully interrupt any public Crossing, or wilfully cause any Obstruction in any Thoroughfare:

7. Every person who shall lead or ride andy Horse or other Animal, or draw or drive ay Cart or Carriage, Sledge, Truck, or Barrow, upon any Footway, except for the Purpose of loading or unlading any Cart or Carriage, or of crossing the Footway:…

XXXIV. [Prohibition of Dog Carts.] And be it further enacted, That after the First Day of January next every Person who within the City of London and the Liberties thereof shall use any Dog for the Purpose of drawing or helping to draw any Cart, Carriage, Truck, or Barrow, shall be liable to a Penalty not more than Forty Shillings for the First Offence, and not more than Five Pounds for the Second or any following Offence.

XLII. [Mad Dogs &c.] And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for any Constable belonging to the said Police Force to destroy any Dog or other Animal reasonably suspected to be in a rabid State, or which has been bitten by any Dog or Animal reasonably suspected to be in a rabid State; and the Owner of any such Dog or Animal who shall permit the same to go at large after having Information or reasonable Ground for believing it be in a rabid State, or to have been bitten by any Dog or other Animal in a rabid Sate, shall be liable to a Penalty not more than Five Pounds.