Animals Act 1971 (England and Wales): strict liability for non-dangerous animals—section 2(2) conditions on damage, characteristics and keeper’s knowledge, with key case law
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This Practice Note
This Practice Note explains how to establish liability where an animal that is not a dangerous species causes injury or damage. The claimant must show that the defendant was the keeper of the animal responsible for the harm. All animals other than those belonging to a dangerous species (ie all non-dangerous animals) are governed by the same rules. Strict liability may arise for injuries caused by non-dangerous animals only if particular statutory conditions are satisfied, though those conditions are often difficult to construe. This Note sets out those conditions and includes links to the principal judgments and the relevant provisions of the Animals Act 1971 (AA 1971). An animal does not belong to a dangerous species if it is commonly domesticated. Most animals—such as cats, dogs, cows, sheep and horses—are treated as non-dangerous because they are frequently tamed or kept under human control. For further guidance, see Practice Note: Liability under the Animals Act 1971—dangerous species—Which animals are classified as belonging to a dangerous species? Where strict liability applies, it is imposed on the animal’s keeper...
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Web page updated on 21/05/2026
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