National legislation protecting dogs and cats in commercial practices varies greatly between countries. To assess the current legislation in the 27 EU Member States, the EU Dog & Cat Alliance has gathered information to answer these questions:
Identification and registration
Do dogs and cats have to be permanently identified (by microchip or tattoo) and is this information registered on a database? Is the national database linked to an EU database?
Breeding
Do all breeders have to be registered and inspected? Do they have to hold a licence, be qualified, and meet certain standards?
Sales and advertising
Do all traders have to be registered and inspected? Does legislation prohibit puppies and kittens being sold too young? Are sales of dogs and cats in pet shops, at markets and on the street prohibited? Does legislation forbid non-curative surgical procedures like tail docking, ear cropping, devocalisation and declawing? Is advertising dogs and cats for sale on the internet regulated?
The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
While EU legislation requires that all dogs moved across borders be microchipped, the only way to ensure full traceability is requiring all owned dogs to be microchipped and registered in a database, regardless of whether they will ever be moved across borders. This is crucial not only to reunite people with their dog if lost or stolen, but also to trace spread of disease that could harm animal or human health, and to tackle the illegal trade of pets. At present, most EU Member States do require microchipping of dogs, however a small number do not.
What’s our recommendation?
Microchipping of dogs should be nationally compulsory, and the microchip and owner information should be recorded in a national database linked to an EU database. This can be achieved through national legislation, but harmonising the requirements for microchipping and registration at EU level is the best solution and could be done under the 2016 EU Animal Health Law.
The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
While EU legislation requires that all cats moved across borders be microchipped, the only way to ensure full traceability is requiring all owned cats to be microchipped and registered in a database, regardless of whether they will ever be moved across borders. This is crucial not only to reunite people with their cat if lost or stolen, but also to trace spread of disease that could harm animal or human health, and to tackle the illegal trade of pets. At present, only a minority of EU Member States require microchipping of cats.
What’s our recommendation?
Microchipping of cats should be nationally compulsory, and the microchip and owner information should be recorded in a national database linked to an EU database. This can be achieved through national legislation, but harmonising the requirements for microchipping and registration at EU level is the best solution and could be done under the 2016 EU Animal Health Law.
The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
In addition to permanent identification (e.g. microchipping) of dogs, registration of this information and owner information in a database is crucial to ensure their traceability. While registration of dogs in a database is required in most EU Member States, this is organised in different ways and, in many cases, the information is neither centralised nor connected to an EU database. A lack of communication between national, regional and private databases means that, even if a dog is microchipped, it may still be extremely difficult to identify its origin or owner.
What’s our recommendation?
A central national database where owners can register their dog, or which brings together data from regional or private databases, is needed to ensure traceability of dogs nationally. This database should be linked to an EU database such as EuroPetNet so that dogs moved across borders are traceable, too. Harmonising the requirements for microchipping and registration at EU level is the best solution and could be done under the 2016 EU Animal Health Law.
The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
In addition to permanent identification (e.g. microchipping) of cats, registration of this information and owner information in a database is crucial to ensure their traceability. Few EU Member States require registration of cats in a database, and where it is required, in many cases the information is neither centralised nor connected to an EU database. A lack of communication between national, regional and private databases means that, even if a cat is microchipped, it may still be extremely difficult to identify its origin or owner.
What’s our recommendation?
A central national database where owners can register their cat, or which brings together data from regional or private databases, is needed to ensure traceability of cats nationally. This database should be linked to an EU database such as EuroPetNet so that dogs moved across borders are traceable, too. Harmonising the requirements for microchipping and registration at EU level is the best solution and could be done under the 2016 EU Animal Health Law.
The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
While most countries regulate microchip insertion, few regulate microchip number composition (for example, few require that the country code be included in the number). This can mean there is a risk of duplication of numbers and reduced traceability when dogs or cats are moved across borders or even when there are issues such as implant failure.
What’s our recommendation?
EU-level harmonisation of microchipping requirements is needed to harmonise microchip number composition. Inclusion of country codes in all dog and cat microchip numbers would help improve traceability (so long as microchips can only be implanted by trained individuals).The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
Under the 2016 EU Animal Health Law and related measures, all dog and cat breeders are required to be registered. Despite this, not all Member States require all breeders, regardless of how many breeding animals they keep or how many litters they breed per year, to register. Without a requirement for registration of all breeders, it can be very difficult to trace the puppy’s origin and ensure that breeders meet welfare, health and biosecurity standards.
What’s our recommendation?
EU Member States must ensure that all breeders are required to register to ensure traceability of bred dogs and to enable inspections.
The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
Under the 2016 EU Animal Health Law and related measures, all dog and cat breeders are required to be registered. Despite this, not all Member States require all breeders, regardless of how many breeding animals they keep or how many litters they breed per year, to register. Without a requirement for registration of all breeders, it can be very difficult to trace the kitten’s origin and ensure that breeders meet welfare, health and biosecurity standards.
What’s our recommendation?
EU Member States must ensure that all breeders are required to register to ensure traceability of bred cats and to enable inspections.
The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
Licensing/authorisation of dog breeders is necessary to ensure that breeding conditions and facilities are suitable and that breeders have sufficient training/experience and knowledge with regards breeding practices. It is also essential that official inspections take place prior to licensing/authorisation.
What’s our recommendation?
Breeders should be required to hold a licence or be authorised and should be subject to inspections before a licence or authorisation is granted. Without this requirement, unscrupulous breeders can breed dogs to poor standards and with little traceability.
The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
Licensing/authorisation of cat breeders is necessary to ensure that breeding conditions and facilities are suitable and that breeders have sufficient training/experience and knowledge with regards breeding practices. It is also essential that official inspections take place prior to licensing/authorisation.
What’s our recommendation?
Breeders should be required to hold a licence or be authorised and should be subject to inspections before a licence or authorisation is granted. Without this requirement, unscrupulous breeders can breed cats to poor standards and with little traceability.
The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
Most countries require inspections of breeders, but in many this requirement only applies to “professional” breeders and inspections often do not take place prior to registration or licensing/authorisation of the breeder. As a result, breeders may not be inspected until long after starting their activities, meaning that unscrupulous breeders can breed dogs and cats to poor standards and with little accountability.
What’s our recommendation?
Inspections should be required before licensing/authorisation and subsequently on a regular basis, including unannounced inspections.
The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
Not all EU Member States have legislation banning the breeding of dogs and cats which have genetic conditions, such as inherited diseases or conformations. If they do, in most cases the legislation prohibits breeding methods that can cause suffering to the animal. Only in a few Member States does the legislation specifically prohibit breeding for exaggerated or extreme conformations, such as exaggerated skull shape.
What’s our recommendation?
EU legislation should be adopted on minimum standards for breeders with regards animal welfare, including absence of hereditary diseases or conformation. This should include exaggerated features, which can lead to a range of health and welfare issues.
The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
Not all EU Member States have legislation banning the breeding of dogs and cats which have genetic conditions, such as inherited diseases or conformations. If they do, in most cases the legislation prohibits breeding methods that can cause suffering to the animal. Only in a few Member States does the legislation specifically prohibit breeding for exaggerated or extreme conformations, such as exaggerated skull shape.
What’s our recommendation?
EU legislation should be adopted on minimum standards for breeders with regards animal welfare, including absence of hereditary diseases or conformation. This should include exaggerated features, which can lead to a range of health and welfare issues.
The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
Without requirements for registration and/or licensing of traders, who act as intermediaries in the trade of dogs and cats, it is difficult to know whether the animals’ health and welfare are protected after leaving breeders and before being sold to consumers. Furthermore, without registration and licensing, there is little traceability of the animals and the breeder (and even the country) they come from.
What’s our recommendation?
EU legislation should set standards and requirements for traders of dogs and cats, including registration, as well as having appropriate education and training/experience in animal welfare and biosecurity.
The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
Without requirements for registration and/or licensing of traders, who act as intermediaries in the trade of dogs and cats, it is difficult to know whether the animals’ health and welfare are protected after leaving breeders and before being sold to consumers. Furthermore, without registration and licensing, there is little traceability of the animals and the breeder (and even the country) they come from.
What’s our recommendation?
EU legislation should set standards and requirements for traders of dogs and cats, including registration, as well as having appropriate education and training/experience in animal welfare and biosecurity.
The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
Without inspections of traders, who act as intermediaries in the trade of dogs and cats, it is difficult to know whether the animals’ health and welfare are protected after leaving breeders and before being sold to consumers.
What’s our recommendation?
As well as a requirement for registration and/or licensing of traders, traders should be inspected before registration or licensing can be granted and subsequently on a regular basis, including unannounced inspections.
The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
A legal minimum age at which dogs (puppies) can be sold is essential to ensure that they are not separated from the mother at an age that is detrimental to their development and welfare. In the absence of EU-wide rules for the minimum age at which a dog can be sold, it may also be easier for unscrupulous traders to purchase a very young animal and illegally move it to another Member State to sell.
What’s our recommendation?
The minimum age at which a dog can be sold should be included in legal requirements for breeders. Ideally, this should be harmonised at EU level to ensure equal standards across the EU.
The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
A legal minimum age at which cats (kittens) can be sold is essential to ensure that they are not separated from the mother at an age that is detrimental to their development and welfare. In the absence of EU-wide rules for the minimum age at which a cat can be sold, it may also be easier for unscrupulous traders to purchase a very young animal and illegally move it to another Member State to sell.
What’s our recommendation?
The minimum age at which a cat can be sold should be included in legal requirements for breeders. Ideally, this should be harmonised at EU level to ensure equal standards across the EU.
The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
Where dogs can be sold in pet shops, owners may be unaware of where and how their new pet has been bred and the experiences they have had. This poses a consumer protection risk where owners are unknowingly purchasing pets which are likely to have, or to develop, health or behaviour problems.
What’s our recommendation?
A ban on the sale of dogs in pet shops. Dogs should only be sold from their breeder’s premises, allowing new owners to see the conditions in which their pet has been raised.
The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
Where cats can be sold in pet shops, owners may be unaware of where and how their new pet has been bred and the experiences they have had. This poses a consumer protection risk where owners are unknowingly purchasing pets which are likely to have, or to develop, health or behaviour problems.
What’s our recommendation?
A ban on the sale of cats in pet shops. Cats should only be sold from their breeder’s premises, allowing new owners to see the conditions in which their pet has been raised.
The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
While some Member States have begun to legislate online advertising of dogs and cats for sale, it is left unregulated in most countries. As a result, consumers are often grossly unprotected when buying a pet via an online advert, and the animals’ health and welfare are left at risk.
What’s our recommendation?
EU level regulation of online advertising of dogs and cats for sale should introduce minimum requirements for adverts on classified advertising websites, such as ID verification of the seller, microchip number of the animal, as well as country of origin, date of birth/age of the animal and photos of the mother with the young. This could have a real impact on traceability of the dog or cat and of the seller, thereby better protecting both the animals and consumers.
The answers for the 27 EU member States are:
What’s the issue?
While some Member States have begun to legislate online advertising of dogs and cats for sale, it is left unregulated in most countries. As a result, consumers are often grossly unprotected when buying a pet via an online advert, and the animals’ health and welfare are left at risk.
What’s our recommendation?
EU level regulation of online advertising of dogs and cats for sale should introduce minimum requirements for adverts on classified advertising websites, such as ID verification of the seller, microchip number of the animal, as well as country of origin, date of birth/age of the animal and photos of the mother with the young. This could have a real impact on traceability of the dog or cat and of the seller, thereby better protecting both the animals and consumers.
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