This Act governs the responsibilities, obligations and duties of natural and legal persons in relation to the protection of animals, including the protection of their life, health and welfare; the manner of handling animals; animal protection requirements that must be complied with in the keeping and raising of animals, when transporting them, using them in experiments, at the time of slaughter or humane killing, when keeping them in zoological gardens and circuses, using them in performances and competitions of animals, when selling companion animals and handling abandoned and lost animals.
This Act shall not apply to fishing.
This Act shall apply to all vertebrate animals. Animals referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article which are protected under special legislation shall be subject, in addition to the provisions of this Act, to nature protection legislation. This Act shall not apply to embryonic and foetal stages of animal development. This Act shall not apply to hunting grounds and game management, with the exception of: a) the raising and keeping of animals used as hunting aids; b) the raising and keeping of animals outside a hunting ground for hunting purposes.