Pet shop owners will need to apply for special licences to sell domestic and exotic animals under a new legal notice that regulates the sector for the first time. There will be a licence for the sale of pets, such as dogs, cats, and rabbits, and a separate one for exotic species like snakes, reptiles and birds of prey brought up in captivity.
The new rules, which come into force on April 2, 2014, amend the Animal Welfare Act of 2002 and, for the first time, lay down specifications for the keeping and treatment of the animals traded in pet shops.
Cages and enclosures will have to meet established specifications. In the case of dogs, for instance, an enclosure housing a single puppy should not be smaller than one metre square and each additional puppy will require the enclosure to be 25 per cent larger.
An enclosure housing a single puppy should not be smaller than one metre squared
Pet shop owners will have to apply for a licence, renewable annually, from the Director for Veterinary Services and expect an inspection that will verify whether the place meets the established criteria.
The law makes special mention of exotic animals, which in recent years attracted increasing public attention following reports of tigers and crocodiles being imported as pets in the absence of any regulation.
A pet shop owner wanting to sell animals such as non-venomous snakes will have to apply for a second specific licence. Anyone caught selling animals not specifically authorised could lose their licence to run a pet shop.
Even the day-to-day running of the shops is regulated. Each shop will need to have a designated area where the food is prepared for the animals in the store. A record, going back three years, will have to be kept for every animal bought and sold to ensure it can be traced in case of a problem.
The law also prohibits certain practices, such as selling animals in open air or street markets, with the exception of a number of birds, such as budgies, canaries and lovebirds. Pet shops will also be barred from displaying their animals outdoors.
Those found guilty of cruelty to animals or any other crime involving public order where the minimum punishment is more than six months jail will not qualify for a licence under this law.
The changes come amid growing awareness about animal rights and the lack of regulation covering exotic animals.
In 2010, the Government drafted a legal notice that banned dangerous animals and called on the owners of any such imported animals to register them or face a fine of up to €45,000.
The regulations were drafted after a Bengal tiger cub was discovered in a Mosta warehouse by animal welfare officials a year earlier. The owner of the animal had all necessary paperwork but the find highlighted the absence of specific regulations covering such animals when imported as pets. This meant that practically any animal could be imported, including dangerous species such as crocodiles and poisonous snakes.
The regulations on dangerous animals have still not come into force. However, a government spokesman said the legal notice was being discussed by the new Animal Welfare Council.
The legal notice was accompanied by new rules on boarding establishments for cats and dogs. Owners of such establishments now also need to apply for a licence and keep very clear and detailed records of the animals, which also have to be vaccinated.