Consider framing regulations for pet boarding facilities in the State, HC directs T.N. Govt

Madras High Court directs Tamil Nadu to regulate pet boarding facilities for animal welfare, trained personnel required.

The Madras High Court on Monday directed Tamil Nadu government to consider the representations made by two animal right activists for framing a separate set of regulations for controlling the operation of pet boarding facilities in the State and ensure that they were manned by only trained personnel.

First Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice R. Mahadevan and Mohammed Shaffiq disposed of two public interest litigation petitions filed by Antony Clement Rubin and M. Vignesh with a direction to the Animal Husbandry Department to dispose of the representations, made on February 15, within eight weeks.

In their identical affidavits, the petitioners told the court that the number of people having pet dogs at home had increased significantly over the years and that the purpose for which the dogs were being raised at home had also changed from just security point of view to treating the animals as family members.

Due to increased ownership of pets, there had been a parallel increase in the market size of pet care products and services too with the mushrooming of centres that sell pet food and toys and those who provides services such as pet grooming, nail cutting and temporary boarding facilities, the petitioners said.

Listing out several instances of pets having died or having suffered injuries due to torture meted out to them by the untrained personnel of such boarding facilities, the litigants insisted on framing necessary regulations under Section 38(1) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.