The German Animal Welfare Federation welcomes the first draft legislation for the protection of dogs and cats at EU level. Among other things, the EU Commission proposes measures to ensure the traceability of dogs and cats and to regulate the online trade in these animals. It also lays down transnational minimum standards for breeders, animal shelters and pet shops. The German Animal Welfare Federation sees the draft as a ray of hope in the fight against the illegal pet trade and as an important relief for animal shelters.
"It is long overdue that the EU takes measures to protect dogs and cats. In particular, mandatory identification and registration is important in order to curb the cruel trade in dog and cat puppies, which is also at the expense of the parent animals. Even if we would have preferred a basic identification and registration obligation for every dog and cat - including those owned by private owners - the draft is a step in the right direction. The new regulations can relieve the burden on animal shelters, which have reached their limits in recent years due to an increasing number of confiscated puppies from illegal trade. In addition, the owners of abandoned animals can be tracked down and held accountable thanks to identification and registration; lost and found animals can be quickly returned to their homes and do not have to remain in animal shelters for long," comments Thomas Schröder, President of the German Animal Welfare Federation.
RULES FOR ONLINE TRADING
According to the draft law, anyone trading in dogs and cats must have them identified by a vet. The identification with a transponder with a microchip must be carried out within the first three months of life, which makes the illegal puppy trade even more difficult. The animals must then be registered in a pet register such as FINDEFIX - for example in the name of the breeder or an animal shelter. If dogs and cats are offered on online platforms, their microchip numbers must be provided and the registration verified. Providers are also obliged to provide minimum information on the species, breed, sex, date and place of birth of the animal. A mandatory passage is also intended to point out that buyers assume responsibility for the health and well-being of the animal.
HUSBANDRY REQUIREMENTS, KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO HANDLE THE ANIMALS AND AMPUTATION BAN
The German Animal Welfare Federation also welcomes the fact that, according to the draft law, people who keep and trade dogs or cats commercially must comply with certain minimum requirements when keeping animals and be able to prove that they have the necessary knowledge. They must also provide the new owners of the animals with information on animal-friendly husbandry. These requirements could make the business of larger foreign breeding facilities in particular, which also serve the German market, more difficult or even prevent it. For breeders with fewer than three dams and two or fewer litters per year, however, the current draft offers loopholes, criticizes the German Animal Welfare Federation. It is also regrettable that the draft does not provide for a ban on the sale of dogs and cats in pet shops. There is an urgent need for improvement here. On the other hand, the ban on amputations for aesthetic reasons is positive: Docking the ears or tail of animals would be banned throughout the EU in future.
The draft legislation presented by the EU Commission will now be discussed in the EU Parliament and by the member states in the EU Council. In the view of the German Animal Welfare Federation, points relevant to animal welfare should be improved.
