Pet shops rules will act as major deterrent to animal cruelty: Maneka Gandhi

Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi on Wednesday said formulation of rules for pet shops would act as a major deterrent to animal cruelty in trading of pets.

The Centre has notified rules to regulate pet shops under which such establishments will have to get a certificate of registration from the State Animal Welfare Board.

Under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018, notified by the Environment Ministry, every pet shop registered under it will have to submit a report to the state board annually with information regarding the total number of "animals sold, traded, bartered, brokered, given away, boarded, exhibited, died or euthanised," during the previous year.

"I am grateful to Union Minister Harsh Vardhan for formulating and publishing the Pet Shop Rules 2018, which will act as a major deterrent to animal cruelty in trading of pets," Gandhi, who is also an animal rights activist, tweeted.

Under the new rules, every pet shop owner will have to ensure that animals are displayed or housed for sale in accommodation and environment suitable to their species with respect to situation, size, temperature, lighting, ventilation and cleanliness, and other similar standards.

The rules also specify that a pet shop shall be located within a permanent structure or building, with adequate arrangement for basic amenities such as water and electricity, and adequate power back up.

They also prohibit any person from operating a pet shop in a shanty, shack, on pavement or any temporary or makeshift arrangement.

According to the rules, if any violation of these requirements is discovered during an inspection of a pet shop by an inspector, the State Board will issue a notice as to why its registration should not be cancelled.

"The State Board may, if it is not satisfied with the response of the pet shop owner, or if no response is received, cancel the registration and communicate the reasons thereof in writing to the pet shop owner," the rules said.

They also specify that pet shops will not be located within the vicinity of 100 metres from butcher shops, or butcheries, or abattoirs while they also need to have an isolated or quarantine area where pet animals infected with a contagious disease or suspected of being infected can be segregated from the rest of the animals intended for sale.