Doha, Qatar: Animal owners in Qatar must report suspected cases of infectious, epidemic or zoonotic diseases within 24 hours under a new animal health law published in Issue 17 of the Official Gazette for 2026.
Under Law No. 12 of 2026 regarding animal health, owners who suspect an animal is infected, or are notified of a suspected infection, must report it to the competent authority and promptly have the animal examined by a veterinarian.
Sick or suspected animals must be isolated at locations designated by the Ministry or competent authority. Owners cannot dispose of the animals or their products without approval from both authorities and must cover the cost of feeding the animals during isolation.
If an animal is found to be healthy after the observation period, its owner must take delivery within two weeks of being notified. Otherwise, the animal may be sold and the necessary costs deducted from the proceeds.
The law as specified in the Gazette also elaborated on specific measures which a veterinarian may take upon suspecting or confirming the presence of an infectious, epidemic, or zoonotic disease in an animal.
The law prohibits the trade, disposal or transport of animals infected with, or suspected of having, infectious, epidemic or zoonotic diseases, as well as their products, waste or carcasses.
It also prohibits sending pathological samples outside Qatar, importing them or conducting scientific experiments on animals without prior approval from the competent authority.
It is also prohibited to slaughter animals, or to dispose of dead or slaughtered animals or any parts thereof except in designated locations. It is also prohibited, without the Ministry's approval, to disclose any information or to announce the health status of animals via mass media or any other means.
The Minister may declare an area an infected area following the detection of a disease, with the area remaining classified as such until a separate decision declares it disease-free.
The law also establishes an Animal Health Compensation Committee within the Ministry to review claims from owners whose animals have died or been disposed of following a decision by the competent authority.
Failure to vaccinate animals against any infectious disease or any violations of the provisions of Articles (8) and (9) of this law, shall be punished either by imprisonment for a period not more than one year and a fine up to QR200,000.
Violations of Articles (3/first and last paragraphs), (12), and (13) of the law regarding the 24-hour reporting requirement, unauthorised slaughter or disposal, or the disclosure of information about infected animals shall be punished by a fine not exceeding QR100,000.
Penalties are doubled for repeat offences and a person shall be considered a repeat offender for a similar offense committed within three years.
All competent authorities shall, each within its jurisdiction, implement the law and it shall come into force six months after the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
The full text of the law and the list of all the specified diseases are available in the Issue 17 of the Official Gazette of 2026 announced by the Ministry of Justice.
