A Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) official underlined yesterday that veterinary clinics, animal boarding facilities, and other kinds of animal-related businesses fall under the Consumer Protection Law.
IAM officials made the remarks during a closed-door meeting with members of the Taipa and Coloane Community Service Consultative Council at the Seac Pai Van Community Complex (石排灣社區綜合大樓) in Coloane yesterday, according to the government-appointed council’s deputy convenor, Leong Chon Kit.
Regarding unclear fee standards and pricing at animal diagnosis and treatment facilities, Leong told reporters at a briefing after yesterday’s closed-door meeting that an IAM official clarified during the meeting that consumer disputes about veterinary clinics, animal boarding facilities and other kinds of animal-related businesses fall under the Consumer Protection Law, and such businesses are obligated to provide corresponding price estimates for diagnosis and treatment services to help consumers choose their preferred treatment plans for their pets.
Leong noted that the Animal Diagnosis and Treatment and Commercial Business Law came into effect on April 1 last year, aimed at regulating animal diagnosis and treatment activities (such as veterinary clinics) and other animal-related commercial operations, including the breeding and selling of animals, as well as animal boarding facilities (colloquially known as “pet hotels”), while also establishing standards for the professional recognition and registration of veterinarians.
Meanwhile, Leong pointed out that among Macau’s 76 officially registered veterinarians, 66.6 percent are residents, while 33.4 percent are non-locals, mostly from Portuguese- speaking countries, adding that the number of residents engaging in veterinary internships continues to rise.
Meanwhile, fellow council member Leung Sio Kei added that 26 veterinary facilities have been granted licences by the government, while 60 animal-related businesses have been issued licences.
Taipa and Coloane Community Service Consultative Council Deputy Convener Leong Chon Kit (right) and fellow member Leung Sio Kei pose during yesterday’s press briefing after the government-appointed council’s closed-door meeting at the Seac Pai Van Community Complex in Coloane. – Photo: Ida Cheong
