As Animal Welfare Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) reported on Saturday at a press conference in Vienna’s TierQuartier, the amendment to the Animal Welfare Act is due to come into force in April.
In the future, proof of expertise will also be required to keep dogs and exotic wild animals. In addition, purchasing illegal puppies will soon be punishable.
The federal government has now agreed on new rules to better protect pets. There have been repeated dangerous attacks by dogs on people in the past. A particular danger comes from those dogs that are deliberately armed by their owners. This is now over.
Both the animals, owners and trainers must complete tests, otherwise any biting and attack training is prohibited. This regulation applies throughout Austria. Service dogs of the federal government, i.e. the police, customs and the armed forces, are still excluded.
“Upper Austria is taking a pioneering role”
Animal protection state councilor Michael Lindner welcomes the animal protection package presented by the federal government. “Upper Austria plays a pioneering role. The fact that proof of competence should be a requirement for all dog owners in the future is an important and long overdue step,” says Lindner. According to a press release, he also supports the planned stricter regulations once morest torture.
“We discussed different options”
“We have discussed various options in the past few months: a complete ban on bite and attack training or strict regulation,” said Rauch. “After long discussions with experts, we decided on very strict conditions under which protection dog sport will continue to be possible. We believe that if there had been a complete ban, this part of the scene would have continued in secret, as is often the case “, argued the minister.
For all dogs that are trained as protection dogs, a mandatory temperament test is also required, as well as a veterinary certificate. The minimum age of the dogs is twelve months. The character tests take place on site at the clubs and are carried out by certified examiners. “Only a few dogs are temperamentally suitable for protection dog training,” said Rauch.
For owners, quality assurance will also be introduced as part of an inspection and an obligation to provide an extract from the criminal record. The test should be easily accessible for those affected throughout Austria. This content is also developed by experts together with the associations concerned. All people involved in training or bite and attack training will need training and certification in the future. The examiners are certified by an independent, scientific body.
“It’s regarding responsibility”
“We mustn’t forget one thing: it’s regarding responsibility. Responsibility for a living being, but it’s also regarding responsibility in our society,” said Federal Police Director Michael Takacs. “In police service dog training there are very clear rules and very clear guidelines, and constant quality control.” Takacs was pleased that these requirements are now also being met outside organizations such as the police. “To date there has been no review. Anyone might train, anyone might found a club, regardless of qualifications.”
The new amendment is also intended to put an end to torture. The animals from such breeding often struggle with serious health problems such as short snouts, constant shortness of breath or broken joints. “We are setting up a torture breeding commission,” announced Rauch. “It will define the characteristics of torture breeding according to strict scientific standards.
Because when it comes to torture breeding, we know that the devil is very much in the details.” This commission, which has its own office, will also review associations’ breeding programs and support the law enforcement bodies. With this basis, the authorities will be able to take action once morest breeders who sell such animals in the future Use breeding. As before, the proposed law contains a clear ban on the exhibition and advertising of animals with torture breeding characteristics. It may then be that certain breeds will be excluded from breeding in the future if characteristics – such as short snouts that have been bred for years – are already too advanced According to Rauch, “only healthy animals” should be allowed for breeding.
The new amendment aims to continue fighting the illegal puppy trade. In the future, not only the sale of illegal animals, but also the purchase will be punishable. “The animals are bred in truly unimaginable conditions,” said the minister. “The acquisition of such animals from dubious sources – via car trunks, via orders, in motorway parking lots, on the Internet – should simply be prevented because it involves massive animal suffering.”
Training for keeping “exotic animals”
Also new is mandatory training for keeping exotic animals and dogs. Since keeping “exotic wild animals” is becoming increasingly popular, but these animals have special requirements when it comes to keeping them, their needs must be taken into account before you buy such an animal. That’s why a separate certificate of expertise for keeping amphibians, reptiles and parrots is now being introduced for four hours, which you then have to present when purchasing. A two-hour practical unit is now required for owning dogs throughout Austria. In some federal states, such as Vienna, there are already theoretical knowledge courses, and now the practical course is being added. In order to meet the special husbandry requirements of camels and buffaloes, the animal welfare package also includes a ban on their use in circuses.
“Animal husbandry also means taking on responsibility,” said the minister. “Animals are not items that you order online and then return if they don’t fit.” A two-hour practical course would “protect once morest impulse purchases,” said Rauch.
“It’s good that there are now strict but also practical rules for training. It was important to me that we take the service dogs of the armed forces and police into account and at the same time create strict but comprehensible rules for those who have one with their dog “We want to do protection dog training,” said Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) in a written statement. “Nobody wants trained dogs to fall into the wrong hands.”
