Agriculture minister Dr. Aishath Rameela has stated that the ministry has completed drafting a bill on pet ownership in the Maldives.
Minister Rameela said the bill has been drafted to mandate the registration of animals kept as pets. The bill has now been sent to the Attorney General’s Office for review.
The minister expressed her satisfaction to complete such a project as no such law had been passed before. The health and welfare of pets will be regulated under a strong system once a law is enacted, she added.
“Once the law is passed, animals kept as pets will be officially registered, and the animals can be tagged [for identification],” she said.
The minister also said the bill would make it easier to locate pet owners if the pets are found on the streets. It will also facilitate the development of a robust legal framework to address animal health issues, she said.
The Agriculture and Animal Welfare Ministry and the Male’ City Council recently set up a pet care facility in Farukolhufushi, Hulhumale’, to address the issue of stray cats in the Male’ area.
