NEW rules to register and licence pets in Bahrain have been tabled by MPs in a bid to tackle noise, nuisance and foul smells ... and to ensure ignorant owners do not ruin the lives of their neighbours.
The draft legislation, spearheaded by Bahrain Bloc president and Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry board member MP Ahmed Al Salloom, is under review by Parliament’s public utilities and environment affairs committee.
“People in Bahrain have kept pets for centuries – animals and birds – and it is evident that nowadays some still raise and breed them in their homes,” said Mr Al Salloom.
“Many take their pets to Bahrain International Animal Production Show (Mara’ee) besides showcasing and competing with them at regional, continental and global levels.
“There is no concern about Bahrainis taking good care of their animals and birds, the issue is more of neighbours complaining about cleanliness and noise and the lack of consideration they receive.
“There are individuals with hen and pigeon coops on their rooftops and when they let them out daily to spread their wings they cause a mess in the vicinity covering people’s clotheslines, windows and cars.
“The problems we are working to tackle are organisational and legislative. We need a discussion and rules over what should be allowed in homes. It would also be useful to have a database detailing the number and type of animals kept domestically. The government should be able to determine what kinds of creatures are allowed to be bred in residential homes.”
Bahrain last year started implementing the GCC Animal Welfare Law, agreed by member states in 2014. The law establishes proper animal care, outlines punishments for animal cruelty, neglect, improper transfer and misuse of animals by feeding them growth-stimulating medicine, and inhumanely killing sick animals, malnutrition and abandonment.
It also describes the responsibilities of animal owners such as providing veterinary care, maintaining proper records and offering them a suitable home.
Bahrain implements The United Nations Convention on Animal Health and Protection (UNCAHP), a unique initiative to globally protect animals, as well.
Mr Al Salloom, who is also the chairman of the Bahrain Small and Medium Enterprises Development Society, believes it is essential to have an official process for pet registration to allow the authorities to know who owns them.
“Currently, only the animals that receive free veterinary services are registered with the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry,” he added. “Having new rules will ensure accountability and could even ensure better services are provided for the animal and bird population in the kingdom too.”
Public utilities and environment affairs committee Mohammed Buhamood said raising animals and birds at homes was an ongoing headache with complaints regularly being received by municipal councillors and MPs.
“We’ve even had some irresponsible residents covering their rooftops with fertilisers so their animals can experience ‘life on a farm’. The smells that enter neighbouring homes have been unbearable – enough to make people want to vomit.
“There are regular cases in which domestic dogs have been let out by their owners and have turned the neighbouring doorsteps into their toilet area. Pigeons kept in coops in residential areas have also made a mess over lines of clean clothes drying on washing lines.”
He believes the legislation was necessary and would make offenders accountable and the threat of legal action might even make irresponsible owners less selfish and more neighbourly.
“We are just reviewing the concept at the moment and would adjust the law when concerned officials get summoned for feedback,” he added.
The GDN reported last month that a crackdown on people allegedly smuggling reptile eggs into the kingdom shortly before they hatch is being sought by MPs and municipal councillors.
The public representatives have taken up the issue after receiving numerous complaints from people furious about the number of wild animals and reptiles being kept as pets in residential neighbourhoods.
They believe traders of exotic animals are beating the system of banning imports by cunningly sneaking in eggs to incubate at home, with some using cheap poultry incubators purchased online.
Breeding
A new law on breeding wild animals is set to be presented to MPs before October.
The legislation, which controversially classifies a dog as a ‘dangerous animal’, was approved by MPs in March.
However, the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry urged MPs to have a rethink, asserting that dogs were not ‘fierce by nature’. The ministry had also recommended that dogs not be included in the law.
mohammed@gdn.com.bh
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