[ad_1]
The Seimas faction of the Labor Party expresses concern that amendments to the Animal Welfare Act adopted by the Seimas will make animal owners hostage.
“The very idea of the law should be welcomed, as the law is necessary, but the hasty consideration and adoption of amendments to the Animal Welfare and Protection Law immediately rendered the law ineffective. The passed law will not work, mainly due to the definition of illogical and unreasonable execution periods, ”says Vigilijus Jukna, the leader of the Labor Party faction in the Seimas.
According to the Labor Party faction, the animal microchip will be mandatory for breeders from September 1 this year, and this is too short a period of time even for the preparation of the statutes. Members of the faction are also concerned about mandatory labeling of cats, dogs, and ferrets for homes starting in May next year.
With a minimum tag cost of around € 30 per animal, challenges can arise in rural areas, where animal owners who lack basic social skills and resources may decide to dispose of their pets in even the most brutal way.
Another detail is that it is questionable whether the capacity of the specialists will be sufficient to guarantee a fluid marking process of the animals, especially when working in pandemic conditions.
“The animal is a great responsibility, so I cannot disagree with the content of the law. However, such unreasonable deadlines, hasty decisions without proper education and public information will only lead to non-compliance with the law and fines. There is little reasonableness here, since all laws must be proportionate to the possibility of implementation. Therefore, I sympathize with people, breeders, officials who will find themselves in a legal situation, but not fair due to the deadlines and the actual implementation ”Summarizes the member of the Seimas Ieva Kačinskaitė-Urbonienė.
