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Ministry unveils animal welfare framework

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Annual state subsidies for animal welfare organisations, a sterilisation programme for stray cats and a set procedure for the micro-chipping and registration of dogs are included in the Animal Protection and Welfare framework announced by the Agriculture Ministry.

Other provisions include strengthening the legal framework and boosting controls.

A series of bills have been sent to the Law Office of the Republic. They include a bill that will rename the Veterinary Services to Veterinary and Animal Welfare Services and make it responsible for animal protection.

As regards controls, the new proposals include the establishment of a service to monitor zoos.

The framework:

• Targeted programmes and actions

– Increase to €100,000 of an annual state subsidy to animal welfare organisations

– Implementation of a cat sterilisation programme with an annual budget of €75,000.

– The setting out of a procedure for the micro-chipping and registration of dogs with improvements to the Dog Register to deal with abandonment and undeclared breeding

–  An incentives scheme for dog owners to micro-chip and register their dogs with the aim of the largest number of dogs possible being micro-chipped

• Boosting the legal framework

A number of bills have been sent to the Law Office for review. These provide for:

– Renaming the Veterinary Services to Veterinary and Animal Welfare Services and giving it the role of the single body responsible for animal protection, supported by the Pancyprian Coordinating Committee on Animal Welfare

– Revision of the Dogs’ Law so as to improve and clarify provisions as regards welfare and dog ownership

–  Clarifying which animals can be kept as pets and regulating the operation of pet shops with emphasis on animal welfare

– Clarifying the minimum requirements for animal welfare at shelters, dog and cat hotels and breeders and regulating their operation

• Boosting control mechanisms

– Operation of a service to check zoos at the veterinary services which can be assisted by other services and bodies

–  Revision and strengthening of the operating framework of the  Pancyprian Coordinating Committee on Animal Welfare and the district animal welfare committees

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