§ (1) If a police constable finds any animal so diseased or so severely injured or in such a physical condition that, in his opinion, having regard to the means available for removing the animal, there is no possibility of removing it without cruelty, he shall, if the owner is absent or refuses to consent to the destruction of the animal, at once summon a duly registered veterinary surgeon, if any such veterinary surgeon resides within a reasonable distance, and if it appears by the certificate of such veterinary surgeon that the animal is mortally injured, or so severely injured, or so diseased, or in such physical condition that it is cruel to keep it alive, it shall be lawful for the police constable, without the consent of the owner, to slaughter the animal, or cause or procure it to be slaughtered, with such instruments or appliances, and with such precautions, and in such manner, as to inflict as little suffering as practicable, and, if the slaughter takes place in a street or public place, to remove the car-case or cause or procure it to be removed therefrom.
§ (2) If any veterinary surgeon summoned under this section certifies that the injured animal can without cruelty be re moved, it shall be the duty of the person in charge of the animal to cause it forth with to be removed with as little suffering as possible, and, if that person fail so to do, the police constable may, with out the consent of that person, cause the animal forthwith to be so removed.
§ (3) Any expense which may be reasonably incurred by any constable in carrying out the provisions of this section (including the expenses of any veterinary surgeon summoned by the constable, and whether the animal is slaughtered under this section or not) may be recovered from the owner summarily as a civil debt, and, subject thereto, any such expense shall be defrayed out of the fund from which the expenses of the police are payable in the area in which the animal is found.
750§ (4) For the purposes of this section the expression "animal" means any horse, mule, ass, bull, sheep, goat, or pig.
§ Mr. G. GREENWOODI beg to move in Sub-section (1) to leave out the words "in a street or public place" ["slaughter takes place in a street or public place"] and to insert instead thereof the words "on any public highway." By leaving out the words "in a street or public place," and merely inserting in their place "any public highway," it will then not be necessary to include in the definition Clause any definition of a street.
§ Amendment agreed to.