In order to improve animal welfare and ensure compliance with existing laws, the Delhi Animal Welfare Board recently declared that all pet shops and dog breeding centers in Delhi must register themselves within the next month. The board issued this declaration after the Delhi High Court recently passed an order calling for authorities to impose accountability in the pet industry.
A public notice on November 6 issued a directive mandating that pet shops and dog breeding centers in NCT of Delhi complete the registration process within one month. If not, these establishments might be shut down.
This is the step towards promoting animal welfare and ensuring that the venture complies with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. This rule incorporates both the Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules, 2017 as well as the Pet Shop Rules, 2018 under which any such business is required to register.
Online Registration For Convenience And Accessibility
This is further facilitated by the Delhi Animal Welfare Board, which has made this process easier by providing a streamlined and accessible platform to get registered. The owners of shop dealing with pets or dog breeders can easily complete this procedure in the e-district portal, hence making it easier for institutions to comply with the new set of rules.
Asher Jesudoss, Member of the Executive Committee of the DAWB said that it was these regulations which brought out the significance of this regulation, “The Dog Breeding & Marketing Rules, 2017, and the Pet Shop Rules, 2018, register the pet shops and dog breeding institutions with the State Animal Welfare Board all around the nation. Running of such an institution without such registration is strictly forbidden by law.”
The DAWB team noted various breaches in several of the pet shops visited during inspections, further elaborated Jesudoss. “We noted several breaches here. Hygiene is not good, and precautions against safety breaches are not in place. The living conditions for animals kept here are also of very bad quality,” he added.
This follows after several complaints and inspections, which heightened the awareness efforts of the department. One part of the campaign the Board has undertaken includes newspaper advertisements and radio and FM broadcast information in a bid to ensure that no pet shop owner is not left behind the new requirements.
Strict Enforcement Of The New Rules Required
Animal rights activist Ridhima Saraswat called for strict enforcement of the new regulations. She cited examples of poor living conditions in pet and dog breeding shops in the city. “Most of these places house animals in very unhygienic and unsafe places, with no proper fire equipment,” she added.
Also, Saraswat said that animals are maintained in highly congested spaces, which makes the whole environment unsafe and stressful. “Different breeds are often crammed together, creating stressful and unsafe environments. The people running these shops are also typically untrained, which underscores the need for strict enforcement of registration,” Saraswat added.
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