Surgical Operations on Animals (Amendment) Regulations, 2025

L.N. 207 of 2025

ANIMAL WELFARE ACT

(CAP. 439)

Surgical Operations on Animals (Amendment) Regulations, 2025

IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred by article 9(2) of the

Animal Welfare Act, the Minister responsible for veterinary services

has made the following regulations:-

(1) The title of these regulations is the Surgical Citation and

Operations on Animals (Amendment) Regulations, 2025 and these scope.

regulations shall be read and construed as one with the Surgical S.L. 439.18.

Operations on Animals Regulations, hereinafter referred to as the

"principal regulations".

(2) The scope of these regulations is to partially transpose the

provisions of Council Directive 2008/120/EC of 18 December 2008

laying down minimum standards for the protection of pigs.

Regulation 2 of the principal regulations shall be amended Amends

regulation 2 of

as follows

the principal

regulations.

(a) the definition of "Director" shall be substituted by the

following new definition

" "Director" means the Director for Animal

Welfare;";

(b) the definition "identification document" shall be

substituted by the following new definition

" "identification document" means an official

passport in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 576/2013

of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June

2013 on the non-commercial movement of pet animals and

repealing Regulation (EC) No 998/2003, Commission

Implementing Regulation (EU) No 577/2013 of 28 June

2013 on the model identification documents for the non-

commercial movement of dogs, cats and ferrets, the

establishment of lists of territories and third countries and the

format, layout and language requirements of the declarations

attesting compliance with certain conditions provided for in

Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament

and of the Council , Commission Implementing Regulation

(EU) 2015/262 of 17 February 2015 laying down rules

pursuant to Council Directives 90/427/EEC and 2009/156/

EC as regards the methods for the identification of equidae

(Equine Passport Regulation), and with respect to other

species, unless there are other rules regulating the

registration of the type of animal concerned, a document

issued by a warranted veterinary surgeon;".

Paragraph (a) of sub-regulation (3) of regulation 4 of the

principal regulation shall be substituted by the following new

paragraph

"(a) licensed pig farmers and breeders may

(i) perform uniform reductions of corner

teeth of piglets by grinding or clipping not later than

the seventh day of life leaving an intact smooth

surface;

(ii) perform reductions of boars’ tusks in

length when necessary to prevent injuries to other

animals or for safety reasons;

(iii) dock pigs’ tails;

(iv) castrate male piglets without tearing of

tissue; and

(v) perform nose-ringing only when the

animals are kept in outdoor husbandry systems

Provided that neither tail-docking nor

reduction of corner teeth shall be carried out routinely but

only where there is evidence that injuries to sows’ teats or

to other pigs’ ears or tails has occurred;".

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