Animal Health and Welfare

The council's Environmental Health Service is responsible for enforcement of animal health and welfare legislation. This protects the welfare of livestock on farms, at markets and during transportation.

Report dead or missing animal

To report a dead or missing animal contact our Waste team. 

Please let them know: 

• what animal it is
• what type of animal it is (domestic, farm or wild)
• description of the animal such as its size
• the location

Please note, the council is not responsible for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) or Scotland’s North East Trunk Roads Network, which in Aberdeenshire includes A90 and A96. Find out how to report an issue on the AWPR, or report a problem on the North East Trunk Roads Network.

Role of the Animal Health and Welfare team

This work is carried out by our team of animal health and welfare inspectors. Their duties include ensuring livestock is correctly identified and is moved with the required movement documents and cattle passports. Inspectors carry out checks of records at farms, markets, slaughterhouses and during transportation to ensure that there is full traceability of livestock movements. To reduce the risk of disease outbreak the inspectors also ensure that carcases are disposed of by the correct methods.

Their routine work involves them visiting livestock markets where they:

• ensure that welfare standards are maintained for the livestock that are in the market and during transportation to and from the market;
• monitor the biosecurity rules that are in place to reduce the risk of any potential disease spread;
• ensure the livestock at the market are correctly identified and are moved with the correct paperwork.

They also do farm visits to carry out inspections to check on:

• animal welfare;
• farm livestock records;
• animal movement licences and passports;
• livestock identification;
• disposal of livestock carcases;
• livestock vehicles - construction and cleanliness.

With the support of Grampian Police they will:

• stop and inspect livestock vehicles to ensure that welfare standards are maintained for the livestock during their transportation;
• ensure that the vehicles are constructed and used correctly for the transportation of livestock;
• ensure that the livestock are correctly identified and are moved with the correct paperwork.

The animal health and welfare team also provides advice and assistance to farmers and traders on the animal health and welfare legislation.

Read the Animal Welfare Charter.

Contact

For more information or if you have any queries please contact the Animal Health and Welfare team.