Animal Rights Activists Oppose Government Bill Prioritizing Production Over Animal Welfare
Animal rights activists have expressed their disagreement with the government’s draft of the ‘Animal Service and Animal Welfare Related Bill’. They allege that the bill focuses primarily on animal husbandry, production, trade, and administrative management, rather than on the rights and welfare of animals. Advocating for legally embedding animal welfare as a fundamental objective, activists have opposed the production-centric approach of the bill. They have also urged the government to formulate a separate, independent, and comprehensive animal welfare law in line with international standards.
The foundation of animal welfare laws internationally is based on the recognized “Five Freedoms,” which ensure animals are free from hunger and thirst; discomfort and pain; protected from disease and injury; able to express natural behaviors; and free from fear and distress. This was highlighted by Sneha Shrestha, founder of Sneha Care. However, she pointed out that the current draft bill does not incorporate these fundamental principles. Shrestha argued that the bill, by neglecting the core philosophy of animal welfare, ultimately fails to effectively safeguard the interests of animals.
Activists criticized the bill for lacking clear legal provisions concerning the humane management of community dogs and cats on the streets, rabies control vaccination campaigns, rescue, treatment, rehabilitation, and restoration. They further accused the bill of being deficient in justifiable provisions regarding the protection, management, and accountability of abandoned cows and other stray animals. According to them, there is also ambiguity concerning the distribution of responsibilities among local, provincial, and federal governments for the protection and management of these animals.
Animal rights advocates also voiced dissent over the bill’s treatment of cruelty towards animals. They pointed out that acts such as beating, poisoning, torture, inhumane transportation, or other forms of abuse are not clearly defined as criminal offenses in the bill. Moreover, the draft lacks stringent provisions for punishments, fines, imprisonment, and the effective enforcement necessary to deter such cruelty, revealing significant shortcomings according to these activists.
