KUALA LUMPUR – Despite facing complaints of cruelty and neglect, pet cafes are not required to obtain specific licences under the Animal Welfare Act 2015 to operate, said the Veterinary Services Department (DVS).
However, it said the cafes still needed to gain approval from their respective local authorities for essential operations and business licensing.
This was the department’s response to whether it could take action against the pet cafes if it received complaints from the public.
Regardless of the licence requirements, DVS said the pet cafe operators could face legal action under the act if there was a proven case of neglect or animal abuse.
It noted that individuals who failed to care for the animals adequately in the pet cafes can be prosecuted under Section 24 of the act, which addresses animal neglect.
“Similarly, those who harm the animals in a pet cafe can be prosecuted under Section 29 of the same act, which covers animal cruelty,” it said.
Earlier this month, the pet shop and cafe Coo&Riku in Lalaport, in Bukit Bintang received a barrage of criticism from netizens, especially on X (formerly Twitter), after the Stray Free Foundation accused it of unhygienic conditions and sick animals.
On November 13, the animal welfare group claimed that the sick cats were placed in cramped spaces together, with one suffering diarrhoea and others seen with teary eyes.
The post, which had photos of the supposedly ill cats, received 1.4 million views and was reposted 4.2 million times. It drew angry comments from other X users, who said it was unethical to breed and sell pets in such conditions.
This resulted in the social media users taking screenshots and submitting complaints to DVS, which subsequently conducted an inspection on the Coo&Riku premises.
Coo&Riku’s manager Anna Nagano said DVS officers came to the shop without notice and combed through the premises thoroughly.
“DVS came without notice for inspection and confirmed our cats are healthy. They checked everywhere in the shop, the kennel area, the cat cafe, and the staff room where the sick cats are kept, too,” Nagano said.
She said Coo&Riku would improve its service and ensure its cats and customers’ hygiene and health.
Meanwhile, the Selangor Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and Persatuan Haiwan Terbiar Malaysia (SAFM) expressed their concern about the surging number of pet cafes, especially in the Klang Valley.
SAFM spokesperson Syira Junaidi said it is a concerning trend as it was related to animal welfare and food safety.
“It started with pet-friendly cafes where patrons can bring their pets to the cafe. But recently, the cafes have been exhibiting animals to attract customers.”
“We are concerned about how the cafe animals are treated since no supervision and guidelines exist.
“Are they getting proper medical care? Are they given enough rest before playing with the customers?” she questioned when speaking to Scoop.
Although there are no licence requirements for animal cafes from DVS, SAFM urged the public to report animal abuse cases to DVS.
Like SAFM, the Selangor SPCA’s general manager Kelvin Cheah also agreed that pet cafes are becoming concerning these days, especially with the presence of animals and food in the same setting, which can raise hygiene issues.
“The pet cafe owners should provide appropriate care, nutrition, and medical attention to the animals.
“Visitors should respect the animals’ boundaries and well-being, refraining from actions that could cause them stress or discomfort,” he said. – November 24, 2023