The Directorate of Animal Husbandry, Maharashtra Government recently issued a notification  for regulating functioning of the pet shops and dog breeding centres in a bid to prevent transmission of any zonotic diseases from animals to humans.
The impact of the regulationis going to be widespread, it virtually knocks out any scope for home or private breeding of dogs as same would be treated as offence under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Rules. Central Government’s Animal Welfare Board on May 1, 2020, had notified certain guidelines under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules, 2017) and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018. Activists working in animal welfare sector noticed that that various local, exotic, wild animals and birds were not kept in ideal environment and many of them were suffering from pain and were subject to cruelty.
In view of this, the Central Government framed the new rules to ensure that scientific norms are followed for breeding, especially now, when apprehension about cross transmission chances of diseases is quite high. As per the new norms, which state government has now notified is stated that, pet shops and breeding establishments would need to get registered with State Animal Welfare Board. No shop or breeding centre can operate without certificate of registration from the Board and it also prohibits the breeding of dogs outside the preview of authorities or without prior registration.
