Notification on pet shops issued by MoEF lacks teeth

Mumbai: While animal welfare officers (AWOs) have appreciated the notification related to pet shops in the country issued on Friday by the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF), they have also raised a query about the same.

AWOs have said that while the notification says pet shops should be inspected and updated by the animal welfare board of respective states, not only are there states that lack an animal welfare board but also districts that do not have any society for prevention of cruelty to animals (SPCA) to stop illegal activities from taking place.

Minister of state (independent charge), MoEF, Anil Dave, while issuing the government notification on Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2016, on Friday, said that the notification was meant to regulate pet shops and prevent cruelty inflicted on animals kept in such pet shops.

According to the notification, representatives of the state board, a veterinary practitioner, and a representative of SPCA would register pet shops only after inspection. Further, every pet shop owner would be required to submit a yearly report to the state board regarding animals sold, traded, bartered, brokered, given away, boarded or exhibited the year before, or any other information asked for by the state board.

Commenting on the notification, Shakuntala Majumdar, AWO and president of Thane SPCA said, “Every district is supposed to have an SPCA but there are many lacking in it. Similarly, animal welfare boards too haven’t been formed in many states.”