Phuket City officials have drafted regulations for a proposed “Animal Welfare Act 2016,” which will require all cat and dog owners to register their pets and adhere to strict regulations.
Should regulations not be met, pet owners will be liable to pay a fine of THB5,000.
The proposed act was discussed at a meeting held Saturday by Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupapana at Baan Bang Niew Municipal School in Phuket Town.
During the meeting Mayor Somjai said, “We have received a numbers of complaints from residents regarding issues with cats and dogs such as their health and cleanliness, dogs barking, conflicts between pet owners and also stray dogs.
“To solve these issues we are proposing rules and regulations for when owners let their cats and dogs out in public areas. We need the public’s input into this so we can add these rules and regulations to the existing act.
“If we receive the public’s approval, we will forward the proposal to our committee and then to the Phuket Governor for his approval,” she said.
The Director of the Public Health and Environment division at Phuket City Municipality, Vina Pikunpon, said, “These regulations include keeping dogs on a leash when going into public areas. If pets are taken to public areas they must be tame, clean, registered and have all necessary vaccinations.
“If we enforce these new regulations we will be able to rid the island of problems such as smelly pets and nuisance barking. It will also help reduce the number of stray dogs and cats. This draft act will improve the quality of life to our community,” she added.
If all parties agree to the act, pet owners will have to register their pets within the next year. The act will only apply to those who live in the Phuket City Municipality area.
Story: The Phuket News
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