Law No. 47 of 2017 - Animal Protection and Welfare.

This Law consisting of 30 articles divided into XI Chapters aims at ensuring the protection and welfare of live animals and regulating establishments that handle or use such animals, in compliance with the related international conventions and regulations, especially CITES and OIE. The Law contains rules on (i) dealing with animals; (ii) the sale of domestic animals and their breeding centers and their use in entertainment and scientific experiments; (iii) zoos regulations and the establishment of animal rescue centers. Article 3, among the requirements for animal establishments subject to this Law, states that it is required to enable the animals to express as much as possible their natural behaviors and interact with compatible animals of their species or other species, taking into account the requirements of safety and public comfort. Other requirements regard (i) appropriate systems for heating, lighting, ventilation, and humidification; (ii) preservation of general hygiene rules; (iii) proper equipment for the provision of food and water; (iv) public safety and the safety of the animals; (v) quarantine area for animals that are sick or injured; (vi) protection of the animals during disasters. Article 4 deals with the requirements for the handling of animals and, as a general rule, prohibits performing any act that may inflict distress, pain, or suffering on animals or subject them to danger or torture. Article 5, on animal transportation, establishes the rules, either veterinary or relating to the methods of transportation, to be met, highlighting that these rules must comply with the IATA Live Animal Regulations for air animal shipments, the OIE Live Animal Regulations for land and sea animal shipments, and the provisions of CITES for shipments of CITES-listed species. Other provisions are on the measures (i) to prevent infectious disease that may spread from animal to animal or any other living creature; (ii) to own or guard wild animals.
Regarding the sale of animals and breeding establishments, the Law establishes that every establishment is subject to a prior license or notification from the relevant authorities (art.8). According to article 12, the Ministry of Agriculture shall set forth guidelines for stray population management, including the acceptable methods of reproductive control, capture, rabies observation. The rules for raising farm animals are contained in Chapter IV and regard in particular (i) licenses; (ii) periodical medical reports; (iii) slaughtering; (iv) working Animals' rules, prohibited in case of poor health, age too young or old.
The Law deals also with (i) the use of animals in scientific experimentation; (ii) the use of animals in entertainment; (iii) the regulation of zoos; (iv) the establishment of rescue centers; (v) sanctions.