PETALING JAYA: Two animal rights activists have called for a federal law to ban the sale of cats and dogs at pet shops, following the Selangor government’s plan to ban such sales.
Rajesh Nagarajan of the Lawyers for Animal Rights group, said the federal government should follow the lead of Selangor, which reportedly plans to ban the sale of cats and dogs at all pet stores in the state, to encourage people to adopt animals and reduce the population of strays.
Rajesh lauded the Selangor move, saying there were many problems with illegal traders supplying pets to shops, which were not being dealt with by any statutory body.
“Until Parliament does it and there is a federal ban on it, it is extremely good that the state has taken a proactive position to ban the sale of pets in shops,” he told FMT.
“Once it is banned, the average person will not be able to buy cats and dogs in pet shops any more. Instead, they will be encouraged to adopt pets from the streets or shelters.”
However, Rajesh predicted that there will be a rise in the sale of cats and dogs on the black market once a ban on pet sales is enforced. He said the authorities should step in and try to reduce this as much as possible.
Karin Lee of the Give for Paws group, said that for any policy to be effective, it should be implemented nationwide.
She called for more comprehensive measures, by enforcing the ban not only in pet shops, but also on home breeders, illegal puppy mills, backyard breeders, and online sellers.
“Most importantly we need a stricter spay and neuter policy that would drastically curb the population of unwanted animals,” she said.
Lee also stressed the significance of re-educating society and promoting pet adoption as opposed to purchasing pets. “Adoption saves lives, so please don’t shop,” Lee said. - FMT
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