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DRAFT Summary of Island Ordinance for the protection of animals on Sint Maarten
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 In the ordinance several important issues are addressed, such as:
A general prohibition on meaningless killing, on harming and torturing animals;
A general provision that everybody is obliged to provide animals with sufficient care, meaning enough food and water, shelter, medical care and exercise; if not provided the animals can be taken away from the keepers/guardian;
A limitation on chaining of animals, meaning no longer than 8 continuous hours in a 24 hour period and no chaining at all under dangerous circumstances such as during natural disasters;
Very important: a general prohibition on all animal fights, on organizing these fights and make locations available to these fights;
It is forbidden to keep wild animals as pets;
It is forbidden to give out animals as a price, a reward or gift during raffles and other events;
The executive council can issue a permit to certain establishments to sell, to keep or have in custody animals, if these establishments comply with certain requirements as submitted in the ordinance; this concerns for instance pet shops, shelters, vets, etc.;
No animal will be given up for adoption without being spayed or neutered;
The executive council can appoint a so-called humane office or animal control officer who will be doing supervision of the rules in this ordinance. This officer will have several powers, such as general inspection of places, the right to enter, and to remove animals;
Any person guilty of violation of the articles in this ordinance will be punished with a detention of maximum 2 months or a fine of maximum Nafl. 2000.
ARF’s objectives in regards to this legislation includes: Updating the legislation by cooperating with governments, private organizations and the public and campaigning for abolition of the “property status” of animals, and the acknowledgement by individuals, corporations, institutions and the state that animals cannot be “owned”.
Improving enforcement of legislation by cooperating with governments, private organizations and the public by campaigning for animals to be treated with the respect to which, as individuals, they are entitled by virtue of possessing inherent value. |
Antillean Legislation 
