The coalition parties recently introduced an amendment to the Animal Welfare Act in the National Council. This is intended to implement stricter rules to better protect domestic and pet animals. Owners of dogs and exotic animals will be required to provide proof of expertise. The ban on cruel breeding will be significantly tightened.
Measures against the illegal puppy trade are also included. “With the second major animal protection package, we are preventing a lot of suffering for pets. The ban on cruel breeding can finally be effectively enforced, and breeders must meet strict requirements. I am glad that this important project has now been finalized after long negotiations,” says Animal Protection Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens). The law is due to be passed by the National Council in July.
Pets live in every third Austrian household. Dogs and cats are particularly popular. But exotic wild animals such as amphibians, reptiles and parrots are also becoming increasingly popular. After the first animal protection package was passed in summer 2022, another comprehensive package of measures to better protect pets is now to be adopted.
Clear rules for breeding
The demand for overbred animals because of their special appearance has increased noticeably in recent years. What may seem adorable at first, however, means a lifetime of suffering and sometimes even an early death for the animals concerned.
Breeders who use sick animals for breeding will be held more accountable in the future. The characteristics of cruel breeding will be precisely defined by a scientific commission with its own office. It will also examine the breeding programs of associations and support the enforcement bodies. There will be strict controls in this area.
Illegal puppy trade
The amendment to the law also contains measures against the illegal puppy trade. The animals are bred abroad under sometimes unimaginable conditions. Import and sale are already prohibited and punishable. Now the purchase of such animals is also punishable – for example, buying puppies from the trunk of a car or ordering animals that are too young via dubious websites.
In order to make the origin of dogs easier to trace, in the future they will not only have to be chipped, but also registered in the pet database. Precise information about the number and origin of dogs in the pet database should also make it easier to combat illegal puppy trading.
Protection against spontaneous purchases
In the future, proof of expertise will be required to purchase dogs, amphibians, reptiles and birds. To do this, interested parties must complete at least four hours of theoretical training. An additional two-hour practical session is required for keeping dogs.
According to Rauch, the certificate of expertise is intended to prevent spontaneous purchases, after which the animals are all too often quickly sent back to the animal shelter. “The courses also teach people that keeping an animal is a great responsibility,” said the minister.
