Commentary on Sections Part 2 – Animal Welfare Section 31 – Offering animals as prizes
153.This section creates an offence where a person offers or gives another person an animal as a prize with the only exception being where the prize is given within a family context. Under the Act it is an offence to offer or give goldfish in bags at funfairs. However, where a parent decides to give a dog to their child as a prize for success in exams or at a family event, that would not constitute an offence.