The owners of Pet Partners in Tarantala said they are planning to register their grievances with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Days after the Centre notified rules aimed at curbing animal cruelty in pet shops, some owners of such establishments in Kolkata expressed apprehension that their businesses might take a hit due to the expenses involved.
Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change had on September 6 notified the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018.
Amit, owner of pet store Pet Plaza in New Alipore, told The Indian Express it would be difficult to run the shop if the Centre does not relax norms.
“ We are not against registration. However, there are a lot of guidelines we need to follow. This will cost a lot of money. Business is down and if we need to adhere to these rules then we will have to increase prices of pets. But we cannot do that because people do not want to buy pets if they are sold at a higher rate.”
The owners of Pet Partners in Tarantala said they are planning to register their grievances with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
“Where we will go if all of a sudden we have to discontinue our business? We do take care of the pets and keep them in a healthy environment. However, it is not possible to maintain all the rules,” said Tubai Mondal, one of the owners.
Other pet shops welcomed the new guidelines.
“We welcome the rules. It is a good step. This will end animal cruelty in some pet shops where pets are kept in bad condition. This will also reduce the chances of people putting up makeshift shops to sell animals,” said Tarun Gupta, owner of Animal Planet in Ballygunge.