Animal welfare - Breeding: EU states want more protection for dogs and cats
European countries are against breeding dogs and cats with extreme features. This is to prevent such breeds from being passed on to future generations if they pose a high health risk for them and their offspring, as the member states have stated.
Exactly what constitutes such an extreme feature with a health risk is yet to be determined based on scientific research. Painful mutilations, such as tail or ear cropping, are also to be banned.
Uniform Standards for Animal Welfare
The EU-wide law also aims to curb the illegal trade in popular pets and improve their welfare. Specifically, standards for the keeping of dogs and cats are to be harmonized. This would include, for example, a minimum space requirement, regulated access to daylight, and basic feeding rules in institutions such as shelters.
Moreover, all animals should be microchipped and registered in a database before they are sold or given away. This database should then be accessible throughout Europe. It is currently not planned that these new regulations will apply to animals kept by private individuals.
72 million Dogs and 83 million Cats in the EU
The basis for the position of the EU states was a proposal that the European Commission had already presented in winter 2023. However, according to the member states, there was no ban on breeding extreme features in this proposal. According to the authorities, the citizens of the European Union own more than 72 million dogs and 83 million cats. The annual turnover in the trade with these animals is estimated at around 1.3 billion Euros.
Before the new rules can come into force, the final text of the law must still be negotiated with the European Parliament.
- The EU Commission is considering the future of animal welfare, particularly in relation to breeding practices of dogs and cats, aiming to prevent extreme features that pose health risks to these animals and their offspring.
- Brussels, as the seat of the EU Commission, plays a significant role in determining these future standards for animal welfare, especially when it comes to popular pets like cats and dogs.
- Germany, like other EU member states, supports these EU initiatives, aiming to improve the welfare of animals during breeding, with a focus on eliminating harmful practices such as tail or ear cropping.
- In the future, harmonized standards for animal welfare across Europe may lead to changes in dog and cat breeding practices, ensuring minimum space requirements, daily sunlight, and proper feeding in institutions like shelters.
- As the new regulations evolve, they may also include mandatory microchipping and registration of animals before selling or giving them away, creating a unified database accessible throughout the EU.
