The new law which obliges anyone who wants to acquire a new pet to request a permit will enter into effect in Wallonia on 1 July. Just last week, it was still unclear what the law would entail.
Details have now been published but questions are still left unanswered, La Libre reports. The permit, which requires a background check to see that the person has no history of animal abuse, is not required when getting a pet from a private person, for instance.
Furthermore, municipalities require access to the central file of the Wallonia Region in order to search whether people are known for animal abuse. Yet this access will only be available in mid-2023.
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To solve the problem, Minister Céline Tellier has said that municipalities will receive a list of all those who do not qualify for the permit. This list will be updated if new cases of animal abuse are reported.
Tellier said about 40 people in Wallonia are convicted of animal abuse across thirty municipalities.
A legal grey zone
MP André Antoine pointed out that the system lacks clarity in a situation where one member of a household is convicted of animal abuse while the other members are not. He questioned how the system would work in this case.
Those wishing to acquire a pet will have to meet a two-week deadline in attaining the permit.
According to Tellier's office, training sessions have already been organized and others will be held this week in collaboration with the Union of Cities and Municipalities of Wallonia to prepare municipalities for the process.
