Summary

The EU Dog & Cat Alliance in principle welcomes the Commission’s proposed regulation on the Protection of Animals During Transport and Related Operations (COM(2023)770). The legislation would mark an important step forward for standards in dog and cat welfare by updating the rules covering animal transit, which have been in place since 2005. However, this is a crucial opportunity to effect real change for dog and cat welfare and we believe the legislation, as it has been proposed, has not sufficiently considered the species-specific needs of dogs and cats.

Our key recommendations

• The legislation must be amended to make it clear and ensure the fundamental protections for terrestrial animals apply to dogs and cats too. Dogs and cats should have separate time limits from other terrestrial animals, which should not exceed 6 hours of transport, followed by a one-hour rest, then another 6 hours, with at least 24 hours rest following.
• The proposal should be amended so that bitches that are more than 70% into their gestation period cannot travel; the current proposal is 80%. Furthermore, enhanced welfare checks and access to bedding should be given to vulnerable dogs and cats, even on short journeys.
• The Commission should adopt the voluntary initiative’s recommendations on rest times to ensure dogs and cats are given regular breaks and access to water, as well as the recommendations on space allowance.
• The temperature range should be widened to between 15 and 25 °C for adult dogs, with a separate range of 20-25°C for puppies and kittens.

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