Animal health and welfare

Introduction to Animal health and welfare

The health and welfare of animals is central to Defra's work of protecting and improving livestock and controlling and eradicating disease. The Animal Health and Welfare pages are divided into various subject areas each with its own ‘Home Page’ and ‘What’s New’ section. These are detailed below :

Animal by-products - Information on the disposal of animal by-products and catering waste.

Animal health and welfare strategy - Information on the introduction of a national strategy for animal health and welfare policies in Great Britain, to be developed jointly by Defra, the Scottish Assembly and Welsh Assembly Government

Animal welfare - Information relating to Farm Animal Welfare (On Farm, Markets, Transport, Slaughter, Farm Animal Welfare Council).

Biosecurity and farm visits - Advice on best practice to officials visiting farm premises

BSE - Information on BSE and other TSEs.

Disease surveillance and control - Information on notifiable diseases in Great Britain, zoonoses and veterinary surveillance.

Identification and tracing - Information on identification, registration and tracing of farm animals.

International trade - Animal and public health aspects of imports and exports of live animals, meat and animal products, including advice to travellers.

Livestock movements - Information on the changes to the rules for livestock movements.

Rabies - Information on rabies prevention in the UK including quarantine, the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) and information on the controls in the event of a rabies outbreak.

Scrapie - Information about this fatal progressive neurological disorder of sheep, including the National Scrapie Plan.

State Veterinary Journal - An official journal of Defra and is the UK journal specialising in State Veterinary Medicine

Tuberculosis - Information on tuberculosis in cattle.

See also: Veterinary Laboratories Agency and Veterinary Medicines Directorate websites.