Despite violation of animal rights, the Environment Ministry has failed to notify rules for the past five years to regulate the pet care market in India estimated at Rs 800 crore citing lack of enabling provisions in the law, the Law Commission said on Friday .
The panel recommended that the Ministry is authorised to notify rules under the Cruelty of Animals Act, 1960 and these should be implemented at the earliest. In its latest report 'Need to Regulate Pet Shops and Dog and Aquarium Fish Breeding', the law panel said it delved into the issue of whether the government is empowered to notify three sets of rules regarding pet shops, dog breeding and aquarium fish breeding.
The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, in consultation with the Law Ministry of Law, had pleaded helplessness in notifying these rules quoting the absence of enabling provision in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, it said.
But the Commission recommended that since the rules on pet shops, dog breeding and aquarium fish breeding were drafted in consultation with stakeholders and lying pending since 2010, these "be notified and implemented at the earliest".
Quoting NGOs and stakeholders, the Commission said the Indian pet-care market is estimated to reach about Rs 800 crore in <g data-gr-id="25">2015</g> but it remains unregulated where cruelty on animals is the norm. Quoting analysis of legal position, representations received by it, the panel <g data-gr-id="24">said</g> "it appears that the provisions of the law are violated with impunity by pet shops and breeders.