HC Asks Tamil Nadu to Regulate Pet Boardings Within 2 Months

Chennai: An animal welfare activist has moved the Madras High Court to direct the Tamil Nadu Government to regulate pet boardings in the state. The petitioner, Anthony Clement Rubin, draws attention to the growth of such facilities and the need for regulation.

The public interest writ petition was admitted on Monday, after which the first bench of Acting Chief Justice R Mahadevan and Justice Mohamed Saffiq directed the state govt to consider the representation and pass an order within 8 weeks.

According to the petitioner, there has been a notable rise in pet ownership numbers since the pandemic, which has led to a rise in pet care services like pet grooming and pet boarding facilities. As these facilities are unregulated, boardings have and could again turn out to be injurious to the health and welfare of pets. 

Pet owners are currently reliant on such services and service providers, as they are required when pet parents are out of station or on vacation. This leads to the gradually increasing demand for such facilities. 

Citing several incidents where pets in such facilities were abused or mistreated, he said it is essential that such facilities are governed by different regulations.

“As they realise the profitability of such service, there has been a rise in such facilities being run and staffed with people who do not possess the qualification required to safely run the facility,” he said. He also drew attention to the fact that such facilities are commercial operations, and how they must be regulated and inspected by the relevant authorities before any approval is granted.

The petitioner wanted the court to direct the state to consider his representation and enact specific rules under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act to regulate pet boarding centres in the state.