Unlicensed pet shops, dog breeding centres to shut down in Maharashtra post lockdown

Pet shops, dog breeding centres and marketing centres without valid licenses in Maharashtra will not be allowed to remain open post lockdown.

Pet shops, dog breeding centres and marketing centres without valid licenses in Maharashtra will not be allowed to remain open post lockdown.

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The state animal husbandry department issued directives to all district collectors, circulated on Friday, to ensure such centres need to file for fresh registrations before the Maharashtra State Animal Welfare Board (SAWB) at the earliest to ensure they remain functional.

“Based on the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act,1960, amended in 2017 and 2018, to include latest guidelines, we have only registered eight pet shops and five dog breeders from Pune, while no other such centres across Maharashtra have been registered so far,” said Dr Prashant Bhad, assistant commissioner, animal husbandry department.

At the moment, all pet shops and breeding centres in Mumbai are functioning without our consent, said Dr Bhad. “We have not received the inspection reports for any centres in Mumbai. Based on our clearance, valid centres can apply for registration,” he said.

The directive follows an Animal Welfare Board of India’s (AWBI) advisory to ensure pet shops avoid keeping exotic animals while breeding centres follow scientific norms to mitigate the spread of zoonotic diseases. “Animals in pet shops are kept in immunocompromised and unhygienic conditions. Once these rules are enforced, it is less likely that we have zoonotic outbreaks. This is a very positive order and must be followed,” said Ambika Hiranandani, legal advisor to SAWB.

The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India said the state needs to pass orders not to display animals for sale on any online platforms. “When the lockdown was announced many owners left animals and birds locked in their shops to starve and suffer. Violators must be dealt with strictly in accordance with the provisions of the law,” said Meet Ashar, associate manager, emergency response team, PETA India.