The Federal Government announced on Friday that the legal guarantee for consumer goods will be applied to the sale of household pets which had been hampered by a lack of legislation and legal clarity.
Ministers say this will better account for the interests of those involved in the transaction as well as the animals themselves.
On Friday, the State Secretary for Consumer Protection Alexia Bertrand and the Minister of Economy Pierre-Yves Dermagne announced that regulation surrounding the sale of pets would be tightened in 2023, with buyers now receiving a legal guarantee for their purchase.
Until the government's announcement, consumers were offered little legal protections about the animal they buy. "For example, a breeder could sell a puppy without being able to confirm its breed, age, or even where they came from," Dermagne explained.
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This loophole will now be closed, as the legal guarantee rules for consumer goods will also be applied to the sale of animals, which will see "consumers obtaining all the required information when completing their purchase," according to Bertrand.
Furthermore, the seller will be liable for any ailments the pet may carry, which should encourage them to take better care of the animals they sell. As a result, "all interests will be taken into consideration as a result of this new law," according to both ministers, "those of the animal's health, the consumer's, and the seller's."
