• Vaccination and breeding controls included

The Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government has introduced a new Bill aimed at eliminating rabies and introducing a registration system for dogs.

The Bill has been published in the Extraordinary Gazette No. 2455/66 dated 7 September 2026.

The proposed legislation seeks to regulate dog vaccination, control the dog population and regulate the commercial breeding of dogs.

Under the proposed legislation, every local authority would be required to ensure that all dogs within its administrative area are vaccinated against rabies annually and registered.

The owner of a dog aged over six weeks, or any person keeping such a dog in their custody, would be required to have the dog vaccinated against rabies and register it annually with the relevant local authority.

Following vaccination and the issuance of a vaccination certificate, the dog would have to be registered with the relevant local authority upon payment of the prescribed fee. A registration certificate would then be issued for the dog.

A person who fails to register a dog would be required to pay a fine of Rs. 2,000 in addition to the registration fee.

The Bill also requires every local authority to take steps to sterilise or castrate all stray dogs within its administrative area.

In addition, anyone operating a dog breeding centre would be required to obtain a licence. The proposed legislation would also prohibit anyone without such a licence from selling puppies.