A cat, dog or a bird, whichever it is, gives you the best emotional support when no human soul stands by you. That is why pet animals are also known as “emotional support animals” because they have the super ability to heal your soul. In recent days, the tendency to keep pets, especially among Dhaka dwellers, has significantly increased.
This be noticed when you visit a nearby veterinarian; only then do you understand that almost half the city has a little “fur baby” of its own. What is more saddening is that in this city of “fur babies,” the legal protection available for them is unclear and filled with uncertainty.
Revisiting the animal laws of Bangladesh, we do find a good number of animal protection legislations like the Animal Welfare Act, 2019 (replacing Cruelty to Animals Act, 1920), the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act 2012, the Animal Slaughter and Meat Quality Control Act 2011, the Animal Diseases Act 2005 and the Bangladesh Animal and Animal Product Quarantine Act 2005. Moreover, the Penal Code, 1860, also contains several provisions related to animal cruelty.
Most importantly, the Constitution of Bangladesh, in Article 18A, specifically mentions protecting biodiversity and wildlife, which inherently includes animal safety and rights protection too. Except for the most recent Animal Welfare Act, 2019, the rest of the aforementioned legislation is mostly silent when it comes to pets.
Coming back to the Animal Welfare Act, 2019, in section 2(10), the Act defines “pet” as any animal other than a domestic animal that resides at a home or on a farm for commercial purposes, providing comfort and safety to humans. The definition of pet animals to some extent, is vague and contains uncertainty regarding “the commercial purposes” part.
An in-depth regulation should also be provided for commercial pet owners to hold them accountable for failing to provide adequate care for the animals
There is clearly no distinction between individual pet owners and commercial pet owners. Furthermore, in regard to licensing and registration, as stated in section 9 of the Act, only commercial pet owners require a license and registration. For non-commercial pet owners, there is no explicit requirement for licensing and registration, which deliberately weakens the Act’s monitoring and law enforcement abilities.
In my opinion, only people with the capacity to render pets should have a license to keep them. This will limit the abuse of pet animals if they are under the care of competent companions. Pets are not just animals; they are more sensitive and require more care and affection than street animals.
In addition to that, there are other loopholes such as to the lack of comprehensive rules for commercial pet shops and breeders prescribed in the Act. This creates uncertainty and a chance for abusing animals in the name of breeding. Commercial pet owners, especially the ones at Katabon, cage the animals for hours in scorching heat and freezing cold and often get away with it unsupervised.
An in-depth regulation should also be provided for commercial pet owners to hold them accountable for failing to provide adequate care for the animals. Another problem lies with section 19, which makes animal cruelty a non-cognizable and bailable offence, weakening the gravity of the crime. The more concerning part is the applicability of these laws. Every day, there are cases of pet abuse around us; unfortunately, very few of them are reported.
Nowadays, people take the severity of animal abuse only when the videos go viral on social media. This overlooks many pet animal cases which deserve equal attention.
Many international and regional frameworks already there which exclusively deal with animal rights protection. For instance, the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals ensures humane treatment, responsible breeding and protection for domestic pets. As of 2025, a total of 27 states have already ratified it. Bangladesh should also ratify and adopt the domestic law immediately. In the United Kingdom, there is the Pet Abduction Act 2024, for penalising offenders for abducting pet animals. Spain’s Pet Sentience Reform now legally recognises pets as “part of the family”, “sentient beings” and gives legal recognition in disputes such as custody and divorce. Bangladesh must take note and immediately remedy the current ongoing loopholes regarding pet laws.
The solution to Bangladeshi pets and pet owners’ problems is basically simple. The Animal Welfare Act, 2019, is indeed a better framework than the repealed Cruelty to Animals Act, 1920. However, a comprehensive framework concentrating solely on pet animals might address the aforementioned issues more precisely. A proper guideline and protocol in rendering pet animals should be developed following international frameworks. Most importantly, a more sensible, empathetic and compassionate legislation should be provided for our voiceless, innocent little ‘fur babies’. Let’s always remember that they are not just our emotional support animals: they are our companions, our friends, our saviour in dark times, and we must protect them too.
* Pinak Sarkar is Lecturer, Department of Law, International Standard University
* Views expressed her are the author's own.