Prague, July 24 (CTK) – The government on Tuesday took a neutral stance on a proposal for the introduction of stricter punishment for animal cruelty and measures against puppy mills and other breeding facilities seeking profit at the cost of the well-being of the animals, its press section announced on Tuesday.
The bill was drafted by the opposition TOP 09 and supported by lawmakers from six other parties, including Environment Minister Richard Brabec (ANO).
Brabec said before the cabinet meeting this morning that he considers the bill to be a step taken in the right direction.
He said a recent amendment to the existing law partly dealt with the situation around puppy mills, more needs to be done. He said he expects the Chamber of Deputies to hold a large debate about the new bill.
The bill presents a definition of puppy mills and other breeding facilities in which animals are maltreated in order to be able to fight these mills in the Czech Republic more efficiently. Operators of such mills may be banned from breeding and owning animals same as people sentenced for cruelty to animals.
The authors of the bill argued that the new Civil Code changed the attitude towards animals which are not considered items or objects anymore but living creatures. This change should be also reflected in the Penal Code.
Agriculture Minister Miroslav Toman (for Social Democrats, CSSD) told journalists that the proposed bill only dealt with consequences and that his office was preparing stricter legislation related to animal breeding.
The government said the bill did not deal with some aspects of the issue, for example that a punished operator of a puppy mill would stop being the owner of the animals.
