Government announces new legislation for pet groomers and sitters

New legislation regulating pet groomers, sitters and boarders was announced by government on Friday.

The new rules set minimum standards on previously unregulated areas within the sector, while introducing registration and compliance measures, and will come into force in two months’ time.

The new legislation was announced by Animal Rights Minister Anton Refalo, and Parliamentary Secretary for Animal Rights Alicia Bugeja Said.

The long overdue legislation comes years after Animal Welfare Commissioner Alison Bezzina called for the rules to be introduced by government. Just last year the body of a lifeless dog was found at the edge of Għarb cliffs in Gozo, with its owners claiming the three-year-old German Shepard was in the care of a pet-sitter.

Addressing the press on Friday, Refalo said a public consultation revealed the country had a “jungle” in the sector, and measures needed to be introduced.

He said failure to abide by regulations will see the handing down of administrative penalties, with authorities carrying out inspections of facilities. Refalo said first-time offenders will have the option to pay a fine, and “avoid the hassle of going to court.”

These new sets of legislation pertain to the existing establishments of this sector; new legislations on professions, e.g., breeders and trainers, are currently underway. These other legislations are still underway as policymakers are currently fulfilling the local legislative process while seeing that their proposals are aligning with what is also being proposed by the European Commission on this subject.

Pet grooming establishments

According to the new rules announced on Friday, an establishment offering pet grooming services have two months to register themselves from today. They will also have a transitional period of one year to conform to new rules, with an establishment being fined €1,000 if found to be operating without a licence.

Representatives of the Animal Welfare Directorate informed journalists that since establishments were not previously required to register with authorities, they currently have "no idea" how many exist across the Maltese islands today, though they estimate there are "dozens of them."

These registered establishments must be operated by qualified personnel, and all staff must have a clean conduct record in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act. At least one staff member must be certified in Animal First Aid. Additionally, they will be required to have "an appropriate animal health control program." The precise details of these requirements will be established at a later date.

A requirement for "proper record keeping" of information, to be maintained for a minimum of one year, is also being introduced for these grooming establishments.

Other minimum requirements include having a place suitable for "emergency precautions," CCTV cameras with a retention period of 10 days, details of animal enclosures in line with the Keeping of Dogs regulations, and a list of mandatory animal equipment that will later be specified by the Government Gazette.

Pet sitting and boarding

This legislative reform addresses pet sitting and pet boarding accommodations for cats and dogs.

To prevent confusion, authorities have defined pet sitting as “the accommodation of up to four animals at once for a period of no more than two weeks,” and pet boarding as “the accommodation of five or more animals at once.” Pet sitting includes day carers and dog walkers, even without overnight stays.

The new legislation will introduce the registration of pet sitting accommodations while retaining the licensing of pet boarding establishments. Those already operating as pet boarders or pet sitters must apply with the Directorate within six months and will then have a full year to comply with all obligations. Similar to pet grooming establishments, the Animal Welfare Directorate will publish a list of those who have successfully registered.

Pet sitting accommodations must pay €400 for initial registration and €100 for renewals.

Pet boarding accommodations will have an initial registration fee of €800. License renewal will cost €200 for establishments with 10 or fewer animals and €400 for those with more than 10 animals.

These establishments must meet minimum standards, including having qualified personnel, at least one staff member certified in Animal First Aid, record keeping for at least two years, ensuring all animals are vaccinated, and maintaining constant supervision with inspections at least every four hours.

These accommodations must also have facilities to isolate injured or ill animals, be covered by the animal health program, have enclosures in line with the Keeping of Dogs regulations, and have suitable emergency precautions. Boarding establishments must also have CCTV cameras.

Further standards on accommodation specifications and density will be published in the Government Gazette.