Long-anticipated Animal Welfare Bill published

• New Bill to replace century-old Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance
• Facilitates appointment of animal welfare officers to enforce law
• Killing of pregnant animals, setting traps, causing distress to animals among offences
• Conditions set for transportation of animals
• Bill regulates pet shops, bans selling of animals on street
• No changes to law on slaughter of animals for consumption  

 

By Chandani Kirinde

The long-anticipated Animal Welfare Bill was published yesterday after years of campaigning by animal rights groups and activists to have a new law enacted to stop cruelty to animal and foster their welfare.

The Animal Welfare Bill will replace the over a century-old Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance and has provision for both imprisonment as well as fines those who commit the offence of cruelty to animals.

The Bill facilitates the appointment Government veterinary surgeons as animal welfare officers who will be tasked with enforcing the law.

Offences under the Bill includes the killing of animals with cruelty, killing of pregnant animals, setting traps, restraint of birds, permitting diseased or disabled animals to die in public places and abandonment of animals.

The Bill also prohibits the unlawful castration or sterilisation of animals, unauthorised use of animals for testing cosmetics, causing pain or distress to animals, making available an animal for hunting and events etc.

The Bill sets conditions for the transportation of animals and makes transportation under certain conditions an offence.

The Bill also has provisions to regulate pet shops and prohibits the selling of animals as pets on any part of a street, road or public place as well as the sale of any animal as a pet to a person below 15 years.

An Animal Welfare Advisory Committee will be set up once the Bill becomes law with both Government officers and members of animal welfare organisations and representatives of poultry and other related industries among its members.

Slaughter of animals for food consumption under the provisions of Butchers’ Ordinance (Chapter 272) and any other written law on slaughter of animals; transport of poultry from hatchery to farms, production centres and processing or marketing places under the Animals Act No. 29 of 1958 will not be considered offences under the Bill in addition to a few other exceptions.

The Bill has been published in the Gazette on the order of the Minister of Agriculture.