The European Parliament has adopted the first common EU-wide rules aimed specifically at improving the protection of dogs and cats, introducing stricter standards for breeding, keeping, and trading pets across the Union.
The new legislation is intended to guarantee more humane treatment of companion animals and to limit illegal trafficking, which remains a serious problem in several member states, including Bulgaria and Romania.
According to the European Commission, there are currently more than 72 million dogs and around 83 million cats living in the European Union. Until now, most EU rules concerning pets focused mainly on health requirements during travel, while there were no unified standards for breeding conditions or animal welfare.
Under the new regulation, all dogs and cats will be required to have microchip identification. This measure is expected to improve traceability, make it easier to monitor ownership, and help authorities fight illegal breeding and cross-border trafficking.
Several harmful practices will also be prohibited. These include ear cropping, tail docking, and other forms of cruel breeding methods that cause unnecessary suffering to animals.
The law also bans inbreeding, as well as breeding animals with extreme physical characteristics that may damage their health, such as overly short limbs or other exaggerated traits created for appearance rather than wellbeing.
At the same time, limited exceptions will be allowed in specific situations, particularly for breeds with very low genetic diversity where controlled breeding may be necessary.
Crossbreeding between domestic animals and wild species will also no longer be permitted, as lawmakers warn this can create unstable and unpredictable behavior that is unsuitable for home environments.
Minimum welfare standards will be introduced for kennels, shelters, and breeding facilities, with the goal of improving living conditions and reducing abuse in the sector. The European Parliament notes that the EU pet market is worth around 1.3 billion euros, making stronger oversight increasingly necessary.
Animal welfare groups have welcomed the move, saying it will strengthen protections and reduce illegal trafficking networks.
Some exceptions will apply to working animals used by police, the military, and border services. These dogs will be partially exempt from certain restrictions, including rules concerning the use of some specific training tools such as force collars.
Supporters of the reform say the goal is simple: ?better protection of animals and stronger control over bad practices in the sector.?
