The EU Dog & Cat Alliance was launched at ICAWC in 2014 and is made up of dog and cat welfare organisations from across the EU, which have come together to lobby for action to protect dogs and cats. This talk will give an update on EU activities and the Alliance’s achievements so far. This includes their work on puppy smuggling, as well as the launch of a ground-breaking report which brings together the national legislation on dog and cat breeding and trade in all 28 EU countries for the first time.

1. EU Activity Update
Claire Calder
Dogs Trust / EU Dog & Cat Alliance

2. • Launched at ICAWC 2014
• Alliance of 53 dog and cat welfare
organisations from 19 EU countries – but this
is growing all the time!
• Together we are calling for EU action to
protect dogs and cats

5. First year at a glance
• Met with 46 MEPs or assistants
• Met with national governments
in Brussels, including UK,
Ireland, Luxembourg, Belgium
and Romania
• Met with the cabinet of the
European Commissioner with
responsibility for animal welfare

6. First year at a glance
• Launched a ground-breaking report on
national legislation across the EU
• Held our 1st event in the European Parliament
• Tabled several Parliamentary Questions
• Lobbied on Puppy Smuggling, Veterinary
Medicines and Medicated Feed

7. EU Study on Dogs and Cats
• 1 year study to assess whether the EU should
take initiatives to protect the welfare of dogs
and cats involved in commercial practices.
• Started in February 2014
• 12 EU Member States surveyed
• Due to report imminently

8. National legislation report
www.dogandcatwelfare.eu/national-legislation
Collates the national legislation
on:
• Identification & registration
• Breeding
• Trade
• Surgical mutilations
In all 28 EU Member States

9. National legislation report - findings
• I&R of dogs compulsory in 19 Member States,
rising to 23 Member States in 2016.
• I&R of cats only compulsory in 2 Member
States (France and Greece)
• Commercial breeders need to registered
and/or licensed in most Member States but
definition of ‘commercial breeder’ varies
widely

10. National legislation report - findings
• Inspection of breeding establishments before
breeding starts only required in 12 Member States
• Only 6 Member States have provisions on
socialisation of puppies and kittens
• Sale of puppies and kittens in pet shops allowed in
20 Member States
• No minimum age for sale of puppies and kittens in
8 and 10 Member States respectively

11. National legislation report - findings
• The vast majority of Member States don’t
regulate the online sale of dogs and cats
• In some Member States dog and cat trade is
not regulated at all
• Tail docking of dogs in some circumstances is
permitted in 13 Member States

12. National legislation report – EU
recommendations
• Compulsory I&R of dogs and cats on an
appropriate database, linked to an EU
database
• Compulsory licensing of dog and cat breeders
by Member States and harmonised EU
standards for breeding
• Ban on the sale of dogs and cats in pet shops,
markets, shows and on the street
• Controls on online sale of dogs and cats

13. National legislation report video
Please click the following link to view the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drLF9m-MLe0

14. National legislation report
www.dogandcatwelfare.eu/national-legislation
• Full report and Executive
Summary can be downloaded
from Alliance website
• Interactive map allows users to
click on a Member State for a
summary of that country

15. European Parliament reception

16. European Parliament reception

18. Puppy Smuggling
• November 2014: first Dogs Trust investigation
into illegal smuggling of puppies from Eastern
Europe into Great Britain for sale
• Exposed vets and transporters in Hungary and
Lithuania abusing the EU legislation on non-
commercial pet movement
• Unscrupulous European vets caught on
camera creating false pet passports and fake
rabies vaccination records

19. Puppy Smuggling – EU actions
• Shared report with MEPs, national
governments in Brussels and the European
Commission
• Tabled 4 Parliamentary Questions
• Response from Commission = the problems
will be solved by new EU rules on non-
commercial pet movement which came into
force in December 2014

20. Puppy Smuggling – 2nd investigation
• July 2015: findings from 2nd
Dogs Trust puppy smuggling
investigation released
• This time, focussed on Lithuania
and Romania
• Investigation took place after
new EU legislation on pet
movement came into force

21. Puppy Smuggling – 2nd investigation
• Result = new EU legislation has not solved
the problems
• Vets in Lithuania and Romania were found to
be falsifying data on pet passports
• Breeders and dealers were found to be
supplying young puppies under the legal age
for vaccination against rabies, with dates of
birth faked on pet passports

22. Puppy Smuggling – EU actions
• Second report sent to all 751 MEPs, national
governments in Brussels and the European
Commission
• Tabled 2 further Parliamentary Questions
• Result = acknowledgement of the issues from
the European Commission and commitment
to review the situation

24. Veterinary Medicines and Medicated
Feed
• Proposals for new EU legislation on Veterinary
Medicines and Medicated Feed released in
2014
• Medicated Feed – would allow dogs and cats
to be medicated via pet food
• Veterinary Medicines – aims to increase the
availability of veterinary medicinal products
across the EU

25. Veterinary Medicines and Medicated
Feed
• EU Dog & Cat Alliance has agreed a position
on both proposals and has been actively
lobbying for improvements
• Our positions are available at:
www.dogandcatwelfare.eu/issues

26. Find out more
www.dogandcatwelfare.eu
@EUdogsandcats and #EUpetwelfare
info@dogandcatwelfare.eu