Govt to introduce tougher dog population control measures

The Government is set to strengthen dog population control and tighten measures to eradicate rabies after the Cabinet of Ministers approved the publication of the Rabies Eradication and Dog Registration Bill ahead of its presentation to Parliament, the Government Information department said yesterday.

The proposed legislation will consolidate the existing Rabies Ordinance (Chapter 476) and the Dog Registration Ordinance (Chapter 477) into a single legal framework aimed at improving the prevention and control of rabies across the country.  

Under the new bill, rabies vaccination for dogs will be made mandatory, while provisions will be introduced to strengthen dog population management and improve the legal registration of dogs.  

The legislation also seeks to clearly define the powers and responsibilities of the institutions responsible for implementing rabies control and dog registration measures, while establishing a mechanism to ensure the effective enforcement of the law.  

The Cabinet said the draft bill, prepared by the Legal Draftsman, has received the clearance of the Attorney General.  

Accordingly, the Cabinet approved the proposal submitted by the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government to publish the draft bill in the Government Gazette before presenting it to Parliament for approval.