The legislation in place before 2006 was the Protection of Animals Act 1911, which was very outdated and came from a time when animals had a very different role in society.
The Animal Welfare Act replaced this and has made some important updates, for example in relation to cruelty and fighting offences.
Most significantly for the first time it has introduced legislation for pet owners – giving them a legal duty of care to meet the five welfare needs of their pets.