Home » Animals » SIGN: Urge Sri Lanka to Pass Long-Awaited Animal Welfare Bill By Douglas Croxford
Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation K. D. Lalkantha and Speaker of Parliament Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne; [email protected] ; [email protected]
PETITION TARGET: Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation K. D. Lalkantha and Speaker of Parliament Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne
Amba Bo, a visually impaired male elephant, was searching for food near homes in Sri Lanka’s Mihintale area when three men allegedly chased him with flaming torches —one allegedly setting fire directly to his body . Veterinarians tried to save him, but he succumbed to the burns. His search for food should never have cost him his life.
Amba Bo’s suffering is one devastating example of the cruelty animals in Sri Lanka can face. The country now has a long-awaited opportunity to modernize its general animal-welfare framework.
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance that the new Animal Welfare Bill would repeal dates to 1907. Its general cruelty offense carries a maximum fine of 100 Sri Lankan rupees, or less than $1 USD, and up to three months in prison. The new bill would create broader protections against cruelty, neglect, and abandonment.
The bill would make it an offense to beat, kick, torture, poison, abandon, or intentionally deprive animals of food, water, or shelter. It would also establish welfare requirements for animal transport, shops, and breeding centers; prohibit animal fighting and baiting; restrict cosmetic testing on animals; and allow animals to be placed in protective care during investigations. A conviction for its general cruelty offense could carry a fine of up to 250,000 Sri Lankan rupees —approximately $746 USD—imprisonment for up to two years, or both.
The bill was formally published in Sri Lanka’s Government Gazette in July, but it still must be presented to Parliament, debated, passed, and endorsed by the Speaker. Every day of delay leaves animals across Sri Lanka without these long-overdue safeguards.
Sign our petition urging Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation K. D. Lalkantha to present the Animal Welfare Bill to Parliament without further delay and Speaker of Parliament Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne to help ensure prompt parliamentary consideration. We urge Parliament to pass this long-awaited bill and strengthen legal protections for animals across Sri Lanka.
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