New rules on dogs and cats are coming
Starting August 30, new unified rules will come into effect across the European Union aimed at protecting the welfare of dogs and cats. These regulations cover breeding, placement, sale, adoption, importation, and traceability of pets. Harmful practices such as docking tails and ears without veterinary justification will be prohibited, along with measures to combat illegal trade in animals. The need for these rules is highlighted by data showing over 73 million dogs and 84 million cats in the EU, with pet ownership being widespread among citizens. New standards will ensure proper living conditions, nutrition, care, health protection, and responsible handling of animals. Special emphasis is placed on preventing inbreeding and banning the breeding of animals with distinct physical traits that pose significant health risks. Animals will need microchips and registration in national databases to improve transparency and enable more effective oversight of breeding and trade.
Starting August 30, new regulations aimed at protecting the welfare of dogs and cats will come into effect across the European Union. These rules address breeding, placement, sale, surrender, importation, and traceability of pets. The measures aim to prohibit harmful practices such as tail docking and ear cropping without veterinary justification, while also strengthening efforts against illegal trade in animals. Implementation of these rules will be gradual, allowing time for stakeholders to adapt. The need for unified regulations became evident with data showing the high number of household pets in the EU. According to information released this week by the Food Safety Authority, Veterinary Services, and Plant Protection Agency, nearly half of EU citizens own a dog or cat. In total, there are more than 73 million dogs and 84 million cats in the EU. The pet trade generates over €1.3 billion annually, with 60 percent of owners purchasing their pets online. Some estimates suggest that illegal animal trading ranks third among the most profitable illicit activities in the EU. New regulations set minimum standards for individuals or entities professionally or organized involved in breeding, placing, selling, or caring for dogs and cats. They must ensure appropriate living conditions, nutrition, care, health protection, and treatment of animals. Special emphasis is placed on responsible breeding, preventing mating within close kinship, and prohibiting the breeding of animals with distinctive physical characteristics, such as breeds with extremely short coats or excessively wrinkled skin, which pose significant risks to their health and well-being. Under the new rules, harmful practices such as mutilating animals without veterinary justification, including tail docking and ear cropping, will be prohibited. The regulation also bans the use of devices such as collars with spikes and tethering animals to objects. It includes requirements regarding responsible handling of animals during sales or surrenders. A key objective of the new rules is to establish greater transparency regarding the origin of animals. Dogs and cats must be microchipped and registered in national databases, which will be interconnected. This system will enable authorities to monitor breeding and trade more effectively, while making it easier for buyers to verify the origin of animals. Animals entering or being imported into the EU must also be microchipped and subsequently registered in the national database of pets from third countries. This addresses legal loopholes that allowed covert trade under the guise of non-commercial movements of household pets from other countries into the EU. Implementation of the new rules will be gradual, with transition periods intended to allow authorities, breeders, shelters, and other stakeholders to prepare for new obligations. With the start of the legislation's validity, sellers, breeders, and shelters will have four years to prepare for the obligation of marking and registration. For dog and cat owners who do not sell their pets, these obligations will begin to apply 10 or 15 years after the start of the legislation’s validity. In Slovenia, mandatory microchipping of dogs has been in place since 2003, while mandatory microchipping of cats, introduced last year through an amendment to the Animal Welfare Act, will take effect January 1, 2027.
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