Govt floats draft rules to regulate pet shops

The Centre today floated draft rules to regulate pet shops, a sector where atrocities against animals often go unpunished, under which these establishments will have to be mandatorily registered following inspection by the state Animal Welfare Boards.
Union Environment Minister Anil Dave said the rules will be notified under the existing Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 factoring in the need to rein in pet business which is mushrooming with "little or no accountability".
Dave told reporters said for a month-long period the states and people at large can come up with suggestions over the rules, uploaded on the Environment Ministry's website, for the government's consideration.

"The entire sector was unregulated. Now the state animal welfare boards will register them after inspections. The rules also define space requirements and other basic amenities to keep the pets.
"It will also be mandatory to maintain records of sales, purchase, death of animals, sick animals in the pet shops. Every pet shop owner will have to submit yearly reports on animals traded to the state animal welfare boards," Dave said.
Violation of the proposed rules will lead to cancellation of registration and the animal welfare boards shall confiscate the animals kept for trade, an official said.

On jallikattu, Dave said the Centre will make its next move only after the Supreme Court, which is seized of the matter, issues its order.

"According to our notification, certain practices were allowed but it was challenged. So we will have to wait for the Supreme Court order and the issue will be taken forward based on that," Dave said.
On January 8, the Centre had issued a notification lifting ban on jallikattu in Tamil Nadu with certain restrictions, which was challenged in the apex court by Animal Welfare Board of India, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, a Bangalore-based NGO and others.
The court in its 2014 judgement had said bulls could not be used as performing animals, either for jallikattu events or bullock-cart races in the states of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra or elsewhere in the country, and had banned their use across the country.