STANDARDS FOR OPERATING PET GROOMING ESTABLISHMENTS [ S.L. 439.25 1 SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 439.25 STANDARDS FOR OPERATING PET GROOMING ESTABLISHMENTS REGULATIONS 28th August, 2024 LEGAL NOTICE 148 of 2024. 1.
(1)The title of these regulations is the Standards for Operating Pet Grooming Establishments. Citation, scope and commencement.
(2)These regulations lay down the standards for pet grooming establishments.
(3)Persons who are operating a pet grooming establishment which are being used for pet grooming before the coming into force of these regulations are being granted a transitional period of one
(1)year from the coming into force of these regulations in order to fulfil their obligations in accordance with these regulations.
(4)Regulation 4
(1)shall come into force on such date as the Minister responsible for veterinary services may establish by means of a notice in the Gazette. 2. requires:
(1)In these regulations, unless the context otherwise "Act" means the Animal Welfare Act; "Animal First Aid" means the emergency treatment administered to an injured or sick pet animal before veterinary care is available; "crate" means a safe and humane containment method of keeping and, or housing pets in the pet grooming establishment including cages; "Director" means the Director for Animal Welfare as defined in the Act and includes, to the extent of the authority given, any officer authorised by him to act on his behalf for any purposes of these regulations; "enclosure" means any confined space within which animals are kept; "person operating a pet grooming establishment" means a person who, amongst other things, clips, trims, styles, bathes, or dries a pet animal for financial remuneration; "pet" means any animal kept or intended to be kept in a household for private enjoyment and companionship; Interpretation. Cap. 439. 2 [ S.L. 439.25 STANDARDS FOR OPERATING PET GROOMING ESTABLISHMENTS "pet grooming" means clipping, trimming, styling, bathing, brushing or drying a pet animal; "pet grooming establishment" means a commercial establishment, static or mobile, where a pet animal is brought to the person operating a pet grooming establishment for pet grooming but does not include the place of residence of the pet owner.
(2)Unless the context otherwise requires, words and phrases used in these regulations which are not defined herein shall have the same meaning as assigned to them in the Act. Registration of establishment. 3.
(1)No person shall operate or manage a pet grooming establishment for the purposes of these regulations without being registered with the Director and saving any other authorisation required according to any law so as to be able to legally carry out the said activity.
(2)Any person operating or managing or intending to operate or manage a pet grooming establishment shall apply to be registered with the Director before the carrying out of the activity: Provided that any person who is already operating a pet grooming establishment before the coming into force of these regulations shall, within two
(2)months from the date of publication of these regulations, apply with the Director to be registered.
(3)The Director may publish an updated list of all the registered pet grooming establishments on the relevant website.
(4)Applications for the registration of a pet grooming establishment shall be submitted to the Director on the prescribed form and shall include: (
- a)the applicant’s details; (
- b)the pet grooming establishment’s details; (
- c)the species of animals to be groomed in the pet grooming establishment; (
- d)the details of the veterinary surgeon and, or professional responsible for drawing up and implementing the animal health control programme of the pet grooming establishment registered with the Veterinary Surgeons’ Council; (
- e)the pet animals’ details; (
- f)the premises’ details: STANDARDS FOR OPERATING PET GROOMING ESTABLISHMENTS [ S.L. 439.25 Provided that the Director may, at any time, require from the applicant any other relevant information or additional document which is deemed necessary for the purposes of these regulations.
(5)The registration of pet grooming establishments shall be renewed every year from date of approval or from date of renewal.
(6)A pet grooming establishment shall have an appropriate animal health control programme designed and implemented under the responsibility of a professional registered with the Veterinary Surgeons’ Council and the said programme shall be designed and implemented in accordance with the law as in force from time to time.
(7)The Director shall conduct an inspection of the intended pet grooming establishment before accepting a registration so as to determine whether or not the conditions of these regulations are being complied with: Provided that upon any renewal of the registration, the Director may also conduct an inspection to ensure that the person operating a pet grooming establishment is in compliance with these regulations.
(8)If these conditions are satisfied, the Director shall register or renew the registration for the activity: Provided that in the event that the registration or the renewal is declined, the Director shall stipulate corrective measures as necessary and he may suspend or prohibit the commencement or continuation of the use of the pet grooming establishment and thereby remove the said establishment from the register.
(9)The registration document, or a copy thereof, shall be displayed in a prominent position in the pet grooming establishment.
(10)Any alterations to the layout of the pet grooming establishment as accepted upon registration shall be declared to the Director before these alterations take place and the Director shall determine whether these alterations are acceptable or otherwise after an inspection is carried out: Provided that if the alterations are accepted, the existing registration document may be modified.
(11)Any person operating a pet grooming establishment who does not comply with the conditions of the registration applied for may have his registration suspended or revoked. 4.
(1)* *Not yet in force A person operating a pet grooming establishment Personnel. 3 4 [ S.L. 439.25 STANDARDS FOR OPERATING PET GROOMING ESTABLISHMENTS and all personnel employed to carry out pet grooming activities shall be in possession of a groomer’s licence issued by the Veterinary Surgeon’s Council.
(2)Only pet grooming establishments operated by persons who have never been convicted of cruelty to animals according to the Act or regulations made thereunder shall be registered: Provided that if a person operating a pet grooming establishment is convicted of any cruelty to animals according to the Act or regulations made thereunder, the person operating a pet grooming establishment shall have any registration according to these regulations immediately revoked: Provided further that the person operating a pet grooming establishment shall ensure that any person having direct contact with animals within the pet grooming establishment has never been convicted of cruelty to animals under the Act or regulations made thereunder.
(3)The Director shall not accept any application for registration from persons under the age of eighteen
(18)years and no such registration documents shall be issued or given to such persons.
(4)Any personnel, including students and trainees, shall be supervised at all times during their practice at the pet grooming establishment by a member of the personnel in possession of a groomer’s licence issued by the Veterinary Surgeon’s Council.
(5)The person operating a pet grooming establishment shall ensure that in the pet grooming establishment there is at least one
(1)person from the personnel having a certificate in Animal First Aid or any qualification which includes animal first aid when pets are present at the pet grooming establishment. Animal records. 5.
(1)Records of pet animals groomed shall be kept in a register by the person operating a pet grooming establishment and the said records shall include, but not limited to, the following information: (
- a)the date and nature of service; (
- b)the name of the pet animal and any identification system such as microchip number, if any; (
- c)the description, breed, age and gender of animal; (
- d)the name, address, telephone number and identity card number of the owner or keeper of the pet animal.
(2)Records shall be kept for a minimum period of one
(1)year and made available to the Director during inspections or upon STANDARDS FOR OPERATING PET GROOMING ESTABLISHMENTS [ S.L. 439.25 5 request. 6.
(1)Persons operating a pet grooming establishment shall ensure that all pet animals entrusted to them for grooming services are well treated and cared for in accordance with these regulations. Pet grooming establishment.
(2)Pet grooming establishments shall be in good state of repair, safe, secure, stable, durable, well-protected, comfortable and in an escape-controlled environment.
(3)Persons operating a pet grooming establishment shall provide crates and, or enclosures which are adequately ventilated, made of material that can be easily cleaned and arranged so personnel can safely see and access all areas.
(4)No person operating a pet grooming establishment shall keep more than one
(1)pet housed in a crate or enclosure, unless the pet animals come from the same household and the pet owner consents in writing.
(5)The person operating a pet grooming establishment shall keep the grooming and bathing area, crate, enclosure, tub, and table, disinfected and clean at all times.
(6)The person operating a pet grooming establishment shall install a closed circuit television system (CCTV) to monitor and record each grooming activity and session which takes place in the pet grooming establishment and which shall point directly to the grooming tables where the activity or session takes place: Provided that the retention period for the said audiovisual recordings shall be that of ten
(10)days and the said recordings shall be made available to the Director if these are requested: Provided further that this regulation is applicable only if the pet owner or his authorised representative are not present and do not have full visual access at all times to the grooming session. 7.
(1)Pet animals shall at all times be kept in an enclosure suitable to their species in accordance with the Keeping of Dogs Regulations with respect to construction, size, temperature, lighting, ventilation and cleanliness except for when they are being groomed by the person operating a pet grooming establishment.
(2)The Director may, by Government notice, issue detailed specifications for animal enclosures in the pet grooming establishment which shall be obligatory for operators and which may be updated from time to time as the Director may deem fit. Animal enclosures. S.L. 439.21. 6 [ S.L. 439.25 STANDARDS FOR OPERATING PET GROOMING ESTABLISHMENTS
(3)Crates and enclosures shall be constructed in such a way so as to prevent the escape of animals and suitable equipment for the capture of escaped pet animals shall be available in the pet grooming establishment.
(4)The persons operating a pet grooming establishment shall ensure that crates and enclosures are designed so that animals cannot be harmed and these enclosures shall be constructed of nonporous material or be appropriately treated, in particular: (
- a)all exterior wood shall be smooth and treated against wood rot and only non-toxic products shall be used; (
- b)all internal surfaces used in the construction of walls, floors, partitions, doors and doorframes shall be durable, smooth and impervious. There shall be no projections or rough edges which are likely to cause injury to the pet animal. Establishment equipment for rendering a pet grooming service. 8.
(1)The Director may, by means of a Government notice, issue a list with a detailed obligatory specification of animal equipment and any other specifications, in order for a person operating a pet grooming establishment to render a pet grooming service which shall be updated from time to time as the Director may deem fit.
(2)The list referred to in sub-regulation
(1)may be published in the Gazette and may be made available on the relevant website. Emergency and restraining equipment. 9.
(1)Pet grooming establishments shall have in place suitable emergency precautions and written procedures and these shall be made known to all the staff, including arrangements for the evacuation of pet animals.
(2)Every pet grooming establishment shall keep pet restraining equipment which shall be adequate and safe should it be required.
(3)The person operating a pet grooming establishment shall at all times have available well-stocked Animal First Aid equipment that cater for any accident that may arise at the establishment. Administration of medicines. 10. The persons operating a pet grooming establishment may only administer veterinary medication upon receiving the consent of the owner or that of his authorised representative and only if such consent is given in writing and the said administration is according to veterinary medicine laws as in force at the time. Offences, punishments and penalties. 11.
(1)Any person who contravenes or acts in violation of these regulations shall, on conviction, be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to the punishments established in article 45 of the Act. STANDARDS FOR OPERATING PET GROOMING ESTABLISHMENTS [ S.L. 439.25
(2)Where the Director has reasonable cause to believe that an offence against these regulations has been committed and that it would be appropriate to impose an administrative penalty in accordance with the Administrative Penalties relating to Offences committed against the Animal Welfare Act Regulations, the Director shall proceed in accordance with the provisions of the said regulations. S.L. 439.23. 7