With many countries banning the sale of pets because of overpopulation, we are seeing a rise in the number of animals being adopted. But this is not enough. We need to make adopting an animal easier by creating more shelters and convincing more people to adopt.
A new proposal to regulate the number of pets that can be owned by any one person is being put forward by the UK government in a bid to help reduce pet overpopulation. The proposal states that anyone who wants to own more than three pets should also have to comply with strict rules on care and regulations, such as regular visits to their vets, proper food and shelter, and proper carriers for their pets.
Pets are part of life for many people. In the United States, there are around 69 million owned pets, and they are a significant part of the lives of many Americans. It is estimated that around 50 percent of pet owners provide their pets with food, water, shelter, and love to keep them happy and healthy. As such, it is important to understand how to care for these animals properly so that they lead long and happy life.
The Bremen Greens now want to counteract this problem with a new proposal. They want to introduce stricter rules for keeping pets. According to the Weser-Kurier, the politicians demanded in a position paper that dogs, cats and the like should no longer be freely available for sale.
The Bremen Greens proposed Pet Drivers License
The global trade of animals has risen exponentially in the last few decades. More than a billion animals are traded each year, but this is a rapidly growing market that is oftentimes highly unethical and can put animal welfare at risk.
The Bremen Greens — a political party in the city of Bremen — proposed the pet’s driver’s license. The proposal will only allow the purchase of dogs, cats, guinea pigs, and other pets from breeders who hold a license. Therefore, many pet owners may be upset because they cannot sell their puppies or buy another pet. Despite the success of animal welfare laws in recent decades, many animals continue to be kept in dangerous conditions. In spite of the fact that pets are a part of our family, their health and well-being are often ignored.
In order to get a pet driver’s license, people should first pass a theoretical and a practical test. Only then should the purchase of animals be allowed. In addition, the Greens are calling for a nationwide positive list of animals that are suitable for private keeping and a ban on animal trade on the Internet and at trade fairs. “Pets are often kept in a very responsible and species-appropriate manner, but keeping them is not always beneficial for people and animals,” says Philipp Bruck.
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The number of pets per owner should be limited
The positive list should limit private animal husbandry to animal species that benefit from living with humans. These are, for example, dogs, cats, or horses, but by no means exotic animals, gerbils or monkeys. Animals that are not on the list should no longer be sold. The number of animals should also be limited. If you want to buy more than three animals, you have to provide further proof.
A positive list for animal species such as dogs, cats, and the like is also supported by the German Animal Welfare Association, among others. In many European countries, there are negative lists that prohibit the keeping of certain animal species for animal or species protection reasons or to avert danger. Even within Germany, nine federal states currently prohibit the keeping of certain animal species. A positive list only with the animal species that may actually be kept would be much shorter and clearer.