Thalara Municipality Enacts Animal Welfare Act

Kathmandu: Nepal has yet to establish a dedicated national law to regulate animal welfare. Although there are various laws related to animal health, services, and animal products, there is no specific legal framework to prevent cruelty towards animals. To address this gap, Thalara Municipality in Bajhang has introduced the ‘Animal Management and Welfare Act, 2083’. This 22-page legislation covers a wide range of matters, including the protection, registration, health, shelter, transportation, labor use, infectious disease control, prevention of cruelty, and the management of stray and injured animals.

The act frames animal welfare not merely as an ethical issue but as a responsibility of local government. By legally recognizing the five freedoms internationally acknowledged as fundamental to animal welfare, this law incorporates these principles into its provisions. Accordingly, animals are entitled to freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from fear and distress, freedom from physical discomfort, protection from disease and injury, and the ability to express natural behaviors.

The act mandates maintaining records for every animal and includes a provision for free registration of domestic animals. Ward offices will record details such as species, age, and sex of registered animals. It also requires counting and documenting stray animals and monkeys inhabiting public spaces. This comprehensive data collection is anticipated to help local governments develop informed, fact-based plans.

The legislation expressly prohibits acts of cruelty, including beating animals or inflicting torture using sharp or electric devices, defining such actions as inhumane treatment towards animals. Additionally, the act makes it clear that no living creature may be boiled or cooked alive for consumption.