Concerns have been raised that Jersey’s proposed new animal-welfare law could place an unfair burden on small pet-care businesses, if a future licensing system is not carefully designed.

If approved, the Draft Animal Welfare (Jersey) Law would replace the current 2004 legislation and introduce a more proactive framework for protecting animals, alongside tougher penalties and wider enforcement powers.

While the law itself does not yet set out the detail of a licensing scheme, it gives the government broad powers to introduce licensing, codes of practice, and fees through secondary legislation at a later date.

A Scrutiny submission from local pet-care business Spotted Wellies highlighted concerns about how this could affect small operators.

The business, run by sisters Isley and Levi, provides dog walking, home boarding, pet sitting and other animal-care services.

Isley said: “Overall, I think the intention behind the draft law is a good one and anything that helps improve animal welfare across the island is welcome.

“My main thoughts are around how some of the proposals will work in real life for small businesses like mine.”

She was writing to the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Panel, which is reviewing the Draft Animal Welfare (Jersey) Law.

One of the key worries raised by Spotted Wellies was the lack of clarity around the proposed licensing system. The submission notes that much is left to future guidance, making it difficult for businesses to plan.

“It isn’t completely clear how the new rules would apply day to day,” said Isley, adding that it would be helpful to know “which services will need a licence, what the costs might be, how often licences would need renewing, [and] how inspections would work”.

Under the draft law, anyone responsible for an animal – even temporarily – would have a legal duty to meet its welfare needs.

Inspectors would be able to issue improvement notices if they believe standards are not being met, and failure to comply could become a criminal offence.

Serious breaches could attract heavy fines or prison sentences of up to five years.

The Spotted Wellies submission argues that welfare problems are more often caused by irresponsible ownership rather than professional carers.

“In my experience, the welfare issues don’t tend to come from businesses like ours; they come from members of the general public who don’t always follow the law,” said Isley.

The co-owner said she was not consulted during the development of the draft law and, believes involving local dog walkers and pet sitters in future codes of practice would help ensure they are “practical and realistic”.

Isley concluded: “In general, I feel the draft law has the potential to improve animal welfare in Jersey, but it will be important that the rules, licensing process and penalties are clear, fair and proportionate so that responsible small businesses are supported rather than put under unnecessary pressure.”