Is your pet legal? Awareness needed

Taking home a pet requires careful consideration. The idea of keeping pets might have gained ground and pet services might have witnessed a boom but the awareness about which pets are legal and their upkeep remains low.

Taking home a pet requires careful consideration. The idea of keeping pets might have gained ground and pet services might have witnessed a boom but the awareness about which pets are legal and their upkeep remains low.

Manoj Oswal,animal welfare officer at the Animal Welfare Board of India,says there are lacunae in laws on illegal pets and animals. He says the Wildlife Protection Act,1972,lists nearly 450 endangered animals and by law,it is illegal to keep these animals and birds as pets. Exotic birds can be sold by pet shops as they dont come under the purview of this Act. What is more serious is how these shops keep these birds in cages,the condition of cages and the way they breed them.

Pet shop owners at times in-breed Indian varieties of birds and sell them as exotic breeds. Some even resort to colouring birds to sell them as non-Indian varieties.

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Katraj Snake Park director Nilim Kumar Khaire says people need to be more cautious and be aware of a pets needs before buying one. There is a serious need to educate people. People should research about the pet they want and then get one. The pet sellers too dont educate their customers because its good for their business if pets die and people keep coming back to them.

For keeping exotic birds as pets,it is important to ensure that the size of the cage is right so that the birds get enough space,there is enough food and water and there is a perch available. Even aquariums,apart from the cleanliness,need the right heating to ensure that the fish dont die.

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