Dog and cat owners in Poland should soon have a new obligation. Each of the pets will have to have a compulsory chip. It’s not that the authorities want to mandate anything and keep the animals under control. But they want to reduce the number of those abandoned dumb paws. But it is not just about chipping. In Poland, they are talking about animal protection in general.

The Association of Lawyers for Animals in Poland is fighting to make life better for animals in Poland. A special commission has been set up, chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the Sejm, Dorota Niedziela. The Commission is examining a total of ten proposals concerning animal rights. Among the most important are compulsory chipping and, with it, compulsory neutering. In addition, there is talk of a ban on fur farms, a ban on fireworks and a ban on chaining animals.

The good news is that the majority of the Polish population basically agrees with the changes. In fact, more than half a million Polish citizens have signed a citizens’ bill to change the law on animal protection. The required number of signatures for a legislative initiative is much lower. It is clear that Poles really care about animal rights.

The EU is also tackling chips

Mandatory chipping of pets is also being addressed by the European Union. Microchipping of dogs is compulsory in most EU countries, but for cats it applies only somewhere. At first there was talk that the obligation would apply to dealers and breeders, but the European Parliament wanted the obligation to apply to every pet owner. The aim is to combat the illegal trade in animals across Europe.

Cat registration is compulsory from 2025 in Belgium, France, Greece, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. From this year, compulsory cat registration also starts in the Netherlands. The compulsory chipping of cats and dogs is now also being discussed in Poland. Local legislators are drafting the wording of the law.

━━ ( Source: Andrew S /  Unsplash+ )

Draft Polish law

According to the draft law, a public register of dog and cat owners would be established in Poland. Data on individual animals would be kept for up to 30 years. The cost of tagging would be borne by the owners. The cost ranges from PLN 50 to 90. This is not such a large cost. In addition, anyone who does not have their pet chipped according to the law would have to pay a fine of PLN 5,000.

The reason for the need to introduce chipping for dogs and cats is that the costs of stray animal care programmes are rising. People often leave animals to their fate. Either they acquire an animal recklessly or they let it breed and then leave the young ones in an abandoned place. Stray dogs and cats then end up in shelters.

What will it look like

Dogs will have to be microchipped by the date of the first rabies vaccination, or by the date of transfer of ownership if the dog was purchased from a breeder. This also applies to shelters. Cats should be microchipped by the day before the transfer of ownership or the day after being admitted to the shelter. Animals brought into Poland from abroad must be chipped within 14 days of entering the country.