Pet Shop License & Registration

Pet Shop License & Registration

As per The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018 every Pet Shop owner must obtain a Certificate of Registration from the Animal Welfare Board of the concerned state. In case of failure to obtain a Registration Certificate, the State Board or the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has the power to seal the Pet Shop and confiscate the animals being displayed for sale in the shop. Further, the rules give the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) as well as the State Board, the power to authorize an inspector for inspection of any Pet Shop as and when required. If the Pet Shop owner denies access to the inspector or any representative of the State Board, the Board has the power to cancel the Registration Certificate of the Pet Shop.

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for application of Registration Certificate are fairly simple. The applicant, in case of an individual, should be competent to contract as per the laws in India i.e. the applicant should have attained the age of majority, should be of sound mind and should not be disqualified from contracting under any other law prevailing in India. In case of a company, it should be registered as per the laws prevailing at the time of application for registration.

Procedure to Apply For the Registration Certificate 

Step 1: Application

The Pet Owner shall apply to the State Board for the registration of his/her Pet Shop through FORM-I. In the Form, all the relevant details such as the address of the Pet Shop, the arrangements like ventilation and lighting therein, standards of food storage for the animals, details of veterinary support arranged by the owner, details of all the pet animals likely to be offered for sale etc have to be provided. If any such information is found to be untrue or misleading, the State Board has the power to reject the application or cancel the existing Registration Certificate. The application should be accompanied by a fee of Rupees Five Thousand which is non-refundable. For registration of more than one pet shop owned by the same person, separate applications are to be filed with all the relevant details and the requisite registration fee. A duly attested Affidavit stating that all the required conditions under the Pet Shop Rules have been fulfilled by the Pet Shop owner has to be filed along with the application form.

Step 2: Registration Certificate 

Once the State Board is satisfied with the information provide in the application form, it may issue a non-transferable Certificate of Registration which will be valid up to 5 years from the date of issue. The certificate contains the details of animals the owner is authorized to sell, along with a mandate to submit to the State Board, an annual report with details of animals sold, dead, bartered, boarded traded etc during the year.

The Rules further make it mandatory for the State Board to maintain a register of Certificate of Registration which consists of name and address of the Pet Shop owner, details of pets sold and purchased, date of registration and other relevant information.

 Step 3: Inspection

Once the Certificate of Registration is issued by the State Board, the Pet Shop is to be inspected by a veterinarian authorized by the State Government within three months of the registration. The inspection is followed by a detailed Inspection Report prepared and signed by the veterinarian to be submitted to the State Board.

Step 4: Final Scrutiny 

The State Board after considering the Inspection Report authorizes the continuance of registration if it deems fit. If the State Board decides to revoke the registration, it informs the Pet Shop Owner about the same within thirty days of receipt of the Inspection Report.

Pet Shop Rules 2018

The Pet Shop Rules 2018 is reproduced below in English and Hindi for ready reference: