Welfare-ensuring laws

Is breeding of pets for making money legal?

Breeders and dog sellers must follow the rules under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing), 2017. Under the new rules, every breeder must have a certificate of registration, issued after an inspection by the State Animal Welfare Board, and renewable every two years.

Individuals who have been convicted of any offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (or the Wildlife Protection Act) are not eligible to be registered as breeders, taking the worst offenders out of the system for good.

The state animal welfare board now has the right to inspect any breeding establishment for any reason, including on the receipt of a complaint from the public. If violators are found by the state animal welfare board, then they can cancel licences and file police complaints. New regulations are that they specify that pups cannot be sold under the age of eight weeks.

Under the new rules, only vaccinated dogs, who meet certain health criteria, can be sold. The new rules explicitly state that breeders should not display dogs in public places for immediate sale, which gives them time to counsel the purchasers to ensure they can take proper care of the dog. The rules require the breeder to maintain records of all animals in the establishment, including the breeding dogs, also ensuring their welfare.

Breeders must now rehabilitate pups not sold within six months via an animal welfare organisation. They must also maintain a full record of the number of dogs who are born, or die, in their care. A veterinary doctor must record the cause of death, after conducting a post-mortem examination.

Inbreeding is not allowed. The new rules demand record-keeping.

Is it ethical to euthanize a pet and is it legal?

If a dog is suffering, either from severe injuries from an accident, or a fatal disease, a vet can euthanize it to put the animal out of its suffering. They cannot put down healthy animals under the law.

What are the signs of depression in pet animals?

One of the core symptoms of depression is anhedonia, the decrease and loss of interest in pleasurable activities. We measure interest in food that animals like a lot. We also measure how they are interacting socially with other animals in the group, and changes in sleep patterns and daytime activities. Another behaviour that has been used frequently to measure animal depression is whether they readily give up when exposed to a stressful situation.

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