Historical milestone that FOUR PAWS has been working towards for almost twenty years
Brussels/Hamburg. At EU level, the institutions have adopted a groundbreaking agreement on animal protection and animal traceability. With the adoption of the first EU regulation on animal protection for dogs and cats, the illegal pet trade is effectively stopped.
FOUR PAWS particularly welcomes the introduction of important protective measures, including the mandatory identification and registration of all dogs and cats kept, the introduction of an online verification system for all dogs and cats sold online, modeled on the “Veripet” system developed by FOUR PAWS. Furthermore, minimum animal welfare standards for keeping and breeding animals in breeding farms were adopted.
“The EU regulation on the protection of dogs and cats is a historic milestone that FOUR PAWS has been working towards for almost twenty years. The measures of this law will make the illegal trade in dogs and cats in the European Union immensely more difficult and ensure the traceability of the animals. We welcome the courage, persistence and commitment of the European Commission, the Members of the European Parliament and the Member State delegations who have stood up for the animals. This is a great step towards greater animal protection in Europe.
We hope that the federal government will take action to implement mandatory identification and registration of 10 years for dogs and 15 years for cats and introduce corresponding laws before the transition periods have been decided. The quicker regulations come into force, the fewer animals suffer in illegal trade,” says Stefanie Köppl, Federal Policy Officer at FOUR PAWS Germany.
Labeling and registration requirements for more animal protection
EU legislators have reached an important milestone with the introduction of mandatory identification and registration of all dogs and cats kept. This comprehensive traceability system makes it almost impossible for illegal breeders and sellers to carry out their perfidious business anonymously and also makes it easier to quickly reunite lost animals with their owners.
Verification of registration of dogs and cats in online trading
The EU institutions of the Council, Commission and Parliament have committed themselves to regulating online trading and support a mandatory registration and verification system. In the future, the registration of dogs and cats in online trading will be verified before a sales advertisement is published. This ensures that no one is allowed to advertise anonymously online and only registered dogs and cats can be offered. According to a current FOUR PAWS report, 79 percent of all dogs currently come from unknown sources because complete traceability was not previously possible. This new pre-screening will significantly reduce online pet trade and curb illegal trade.
Higher animal welfare standards for all breeders
The introduction of minimum animal welfare requirements for all breeders is an important step towards stricter regulation of the breeding of dogs and cats. The new standards – which include species-appropriate nutrition, veterinary care and protection against mistreatment – apply equally to all breeders. This ensures better conditions for animals in a long-neglected, multi-million dollar industry. The minimum requirements help to put a stop to unregulated backyard breeding and animal cruelty in breeding stations.