The Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government has introduced a new Bill aimed at eradicating rabies and regulating the registration of dogs.
The Bill, which has been published in the Gazette, seeks to regulate the vaccination of dogs, control the dog population and oversee the commercial breeding of dogs.
Under the proposed legislation, every local authority will be required to ensure that all dogs within its administrative area are vaccinated against rabies and registered annually.
Any owner or person responsible for a dog over six weeks old must have the animal vaccinated against rabies and register it annually with the relevant local authority.
Once the dog has been vaccinated and a vaccination certificate issued, it must be registered with the local authority upon payment of the prescribed fee. A registration certificate will then be issued for the dog.
Owners who fail to register their dogs will be required to pay a fine of Rs. 2,000 in addition to the registration fee.
The Bill also requires every local authority to take steps to spay or neuter all stray dogs within its jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, operators of dog breeding centres will be required to obtain a licence. The proposed legislation will prohibit any person without such a licence from breeding and selling puppies.
