Any premises where animals are on sale or kept with the intention of being sold need to apply for a licence.

New rules governing animal breeders will follow once changes to the Animal Welfare Act go through Parliament this year but those who do it as a hobby are worried action could be taken against them in the meantime.

Weeks before a legal notice regulated pet shops for the first time in April, hobby breeders had already expressed concern that they were not covered by the rules and there could be a surge of pets dumped in the countryside as a result.

According to the law, any premises where animals are on sale or kept with the intention of being sold need a licence from the Director for Veterinary Services and meet conditions intended for commercial outfits.

Officials of the Parliamentary Secretariat for Animal Welfare have met five breeder associations – two representing dog breeders, two representing cat breeders and the Malta Herpetological Society – for consultation.

Their concerns, including cage size requirements for reptiles and a clear definition of breeders and traders, were taken on board, Animal Welfare director Joseph John Vella said.

The law states that we cannot sell pets without a pet shop licence

The secretariat reviewed all animal legislation, including obsolete regulations, as part of an official legislative review assessment exercise.

Once changes to the Animal Welfare Act are approved by MPs, a new Animal Welfare Council will be appointed. A sub-committee, including breeders’ representatives, will then discuss new regulations that will be implemented through legal notices.

Breeders had concerns over cage size requirements for reptiles.

Among others, Mr Vella said the sub-committee would discuss issues raised in recent months, including under what conditions a person can breed animals at home, how they should be kept and when would a planning authority permit be required.

The aim was to have a set of animal welfare features including proper sanitation measures, identification and record-keeping requirements that would allow traceability and an audit trail for official inspection purposes. The secondary purpose would be to curb abuse by unlicensed breeders, have a level playing field with other stakeholders, like licensed pet shops, and ensure no public inconvenience, Mr Vella added.

Chris McGowan, founder of the Malta Herpetological Society and an online group of breeders, said that despite assurances by the authorities that they would not be prosecuted, hobby breeders were still worried.

“The law states that we cannot sell pets without a pet shop licence but government entities are verbally telling us to carry on selling online,” he said.

Pet breeders and those wanting to sell their family pet had to know that the concessions they were being allowed would not put them in trouble with the law, Mr McGowan added.

“What are the monetary value and/or the quantity of animals that we are allowed to sell without being classified as a large breeder,” he asked, adding it was their legal right to know what they could or could not do to avoid litigation.

“As law-abiding citizens, we are not happy with this arrangement and demand that the law is amended or some form of legal guidelines are put in place to allow us the right to continue with our hobbies. Breeding pets to create better bloodlines and selling the overstock has been a practice for centuries,” Mr McGowan said.