The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare has issued a formal reminder that the preservation of animal well-being is a collective social mandate, following a troubling escalation in documented instances of cruelty and abandonment. In a formal statement responding to an increase in public grievances, officials detailed a rise in reports of individuals inflicting deliberate harm, killing, and abandoning creatures without essential care. Recognising animals as sentient beings, the ministry underscored that extending protection remains a strict humanitarian, religious, and legal obligation.
To underpin these protections, the newly enacted Animal Welfare Act codifies fundamental rights in alignment with international standards, mandating that animals be legally free from hunger, thirst, fear, and psychological anxiety. These safeguards ensure animals face no physical discomfort or unnatural obstacles to their normal behavioural patterns. The ministry warned that robust punitive measures, including potential imprisonment, will be rigorously enforced. Under this framework, cruelty or the unsupervised abandonment of pets in public spaces constitutes a direct violation of the law.
Financial consequences are calibrated to the severity of the offence. Individuals committing cruel acts face fines ranging from USD 324.27 to USD 3,242.74, while public abandonment incurs penalties between USD 324.27 and USD 648.54. Citing the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet, officials reaffirmed that kindness toward animals is a paramount religious duty. The ministry urged citizens to report incidents without delay, vowing that the government will maintain unwavering resolve in executing these laws to protect fundamental animal rights.