Georgian Society for the Protection and Safety of Animals – GSPSA Comments on draft law on “Domestic Resident Animals”
Parliament Committee of the Protection of the Environment and Natural Resources in cooperation with Tbilisi City Municipality wrote a draft law on “Domestic Resident Animals”. The draft was published on the web-site of the Parliament of Georgia on October 26, 2022:
Draft law on“Domestic Resident Animals”
Georgian Society for the Protection and Safety of Animals – GSPSA officially sent written letter and comments to the Parliament Committee of the Protection of the Environment and Natural Resources (registration N 1-15071/22).
"Georgia Society for the Protection and Safety of Animals" GSPSA Letter N 22-16 17.11.2022 .
Annex to letter – Comments and Suggestions on Draft Law (working version) on “Domestic Resident Animals” – 120 comments, 87 pages
"Georgian Society for the Protection and Safety of Animals" – GSPSA is convinced that regulations stipulated by this draft law cannot and will not facilitate resolution of problems and delegation of actions related to animal welfare. The draft requires re-work, elaboration and changes to become a working bill.
Some significant topics are omitted in the draft law. For example, such important issues as rights and obligations of state bodies regarding domestic animals throughout the country, permit to adopt a pet, confiscation of animal, lost and found animals, liquidation of shelters, etc. are not regulated. There are some articles in the draft which require significant changes, professional mistakes and incompleteness is obvious. Based on the existing wording, the main goal and objective of the draft is unclear. As a result of these ambiguous regulations the existing difficult situation will aggravate, populations will become more uncontrolled, stray animal quantity will increase drastically, while regress in animal protection and disease areas along with animal cruelty and mistreatment will increase. The few members of society who are interested in saving animals and providing better conditions to them will distrust state bodies even more. Naturally, this wording of the bill, if it is adopted, will result in unreasonable budget expenditures, because the law does not facilitate actual working process for population control.
It should be outlined that there is no centralized state body – agency or structural unit under any agency – who will be responsible for coordination of these issues, which means that important topics will remain municipal problems – of course, municipalities cannot cope with such issues in due manner.
GSPSA thinks that the draft law requires major re-work and involvement of professionals, non-governmental organizations, respective representatives of state bodies and as a result – more detailed and elaborated version should be developed.
We also cannot see the obligations of respective state bodies to cooperate with animal protection non-governmental organizations and society; ignoring the public and omitting society in this important matter will result in discomfort, confrontation and many obstacles. The authorities should cooperate with the public and of course animal protection organizations.
Proceeding from the above mentioned, Georgian Society for the Protection and Safety of Animals is convinced that the draft bill requires a lot of work until it can become even a draft. If this is not undertaken, animal conditions and welfare will not improve in Georgia and moreover, existing difficult and uncontrolled situation will aggravate and more problems will arise.
Unfortunately, the document is a very negative version for such a normative act, which contradicts international conventions, while some articles are even unconstitutional. The draft law violates the rights of animals prescribed by international regulations as well as human rights guaranteed by Georgian constitution.
Inviting international organizations, specialists as well as deep study of international practice and recommendations is mandatory, draft law regulation sphere should be well defined and for each direction detailed rules should be developed and best practice adopted.
Animal advocates and animal protection organizations operating in Georgia should be actively involved in the writing of the draft law.
With the existing wording the draft bill is unclear, does not contain enough details and does not serve interests of humans or companion animals.
GSPSA thinks that Parliament Committee of the Protection of the Environment and Natural Resources should establish working group consisting of professionals, invite international and local expert organizations to elaborate legislation package reflecting the reality of our country and improving harmonious co-existence of humans and animals.
GSPSA appealed to Parliament Committee of the Protection of the Environment and Natural Resources to establish such working group with active membership of non-governmental organizations, representatives of state bodies, experts and specialists in the field, so that they can facilitate improvement of the wording of the draft, elimination of unclear aspects, violations and contradictions.
Please, see the below link for the details: