Published in the Government Gazette this week, the expanded law stipulates that anyone found guilty of inflicting pain or suffering upon pets could be banned from owning them for five years.
As well as being deprived of the right to keep pets for five years, offenders could also be required to participate in fairs, exhibitions, or competitions relating to animals for a maximum three years.
The addition is one of a list of accessory punishments for offenders.
The closure of pet-related establishments and the suspension of administrative permits, such as licenses, are other measures covered in the expansion.
With last year’s new law, neglect “without legitimate reason” became punishable with penalties ranging from fines up to imprisonment, depending on the severity of the abuse, and abandonment that put at risk the animals’ feeding and other care also became punishable with jail terms