New animal welfare law strengthens protections for pets

The European Union has approved its first common rules to improve the welfare, traceability, and protection of cats and dogs across member states.

“Today we have taken an important step towards bringing real order to the trade in dogs and cats in the European Union,” said Veronika Vrecionová, chair of the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.

The new legislation requires all dogs and cats in the European Union to be microchipped and registered in interoperable national databases, helping combat illegal breeding and animal trafficking. The rules also ban harmful breeding practices that create exaggerated physical traits linked to health problems, prohibit certain painful training equipment, and restrict mutilation for competitions and shows. Around 44% of European Union citizens own pets, while 74% support stronger animal welfare protections. The pet trade in the bloc is estimated at €1.3 billion annually.