16.—(1) A person shall not carry out, or cause or permit another person to carry out, on an animal, an operation or procedure which involves interference with, or the removal of, the sensitive tissue or the bone structure of the animal—

(a) for a purpose other than veterinary treatment, unless the operation or procedure is carried out in accordance with—

(i) animal health and welfare regulations, or

(ii) regulations under section 54A (inserted by section 2 of the Veterinary Practice (Amendment) Act 2012) of the Veterinary Practice Act 2005,

(b) for cosmetic reasons, or

(c) in a manner that—

(i) obliterates or obscures any mark identifying the animal, or

(ii) renders the identification of the owner of the animal more difficult.

(2) A person shall not show an animal at an event to which members of the public have access, if an operation or procedure referred to in subsection (1) has been carried out on the animal other than in accordance with animal health and welfare regulations or regulations under section 54A of the Veterinary Practice Act 2005.

(3) A person who contravenes this section commits an offence.

(4) In this section “veterinary treatment” means treatment of an animal carried out by a veterinary practitioner or veterinary nurse (registered under the Veterinary Practice Act 2005), but does not include an operation or procedure—

(a) prohibited by subsection (1)(b) or (c) or animal health and welfare regulations, or

(b) the subject of animal health and welfare regulations, but carried out other than in accordance with those regulations.

(5) Nothing in the Veterinary Practice Act 2005 renders lawful anything done in contravention of animal health and welfare regulations.