Warden Message – General Public Announcement by the Muscat Municipality

To ensure public health and hygiene, the Muscat Municipality issued a General Public Announcement concerning accompanying animals in public places.  This announcement came into effect on January 18, 2009. 

• Article one of this announcement permits animals, including pets, in public places between the hours 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. only.
• Article two asks animal owners to ensure that their pets are licensed by the proper veterinary authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
• Article three stipulates possible penalties, in accordance with the Omani Penal Code, for violations. 

The Muscat Municipality Legal Department told the U.S. Embassy that local authorities plan to enforce the public announcement using Title XI Contraventions Article 312 of the Omani Public Prosecution Penal Code, which calls for a fine of one to five riyals and/or imprisonment of one to ten days.  According to the Muscat Municipality Legal Department, the jail sentence is usually 48 hours.

The U.S. Embassy is aware of various petitions urging reconsideration of the new public announcement and takes no position on whether Americans should sign them.  The Omani constitution gives citizens the right to petition the government provided that the petition does not insult the Sultan or the government and does not break any Omani laws. If Americans choose to sign a petition, they should make sure that the petition is worded carefully to avoid even the appearance of insulting the Sultan or the government.

If petition signers would like to check the language of a petition to ensure it complies with Omani law, the embassy can provide a list of local attorneys that could examine the petition and advise on the content.