Summary

The EU Dog & Cat Alliance welcomes the Commission’s proposed regulation (COM(2023)769) on the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats. The legislation would mark an important step forward for standards in dog and cat welfare.

Our key recommendations

• The sale of cats and dogs in pet shops must be prohibited
• Basic provisions relating to feeding and watering, as well as housing, should apply to all operators, not just those operating above certain thresholds
• To help put an end to the illegal pet trade and improve traceability, microchipping and registration requirements should apply to all owned dogs and cats
• All platforms hosting pet adverts should be required to inform acquirers of how to verify the identification and registration of pets
• All bitches, queens and studs should have a maximum lifetime limit of six litters and a maximum breeding age limit of seven years
• There should be a requirement for breeding studs to be registered
• No breeding or artificial insemination should occur where a bitch or queen has previously delivered a litter via caesarean section or if it can reasonably be expected that they will require a caesarean section.

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