“From Legislation to Action: Promoting Responsible Ownership and Welfare of Dogs and Cats in Europe” was the topic of the two-day event organised in Zagreb last week by RSPCA Europe and Purina PetCare Europe, in collaboration with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE). Hosted by the Croatian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the event brought together key stakeholders, NGOs and policy makers with the aim ‘to advance discussions on responsible ownership and welfare of dogs and cats across Europe.’
First-ever EU Regulation on pet welfare
‘Around 44% of households in the EU now have companion animals,’ recalled Olivér Várhelyi, EU Commissioner for Animal Health and Welfare during his opening address via video, noting that the European pet industry is ‘substantial’, worth around 1.2 billion euros. At the same time, ‘an increasing number of dogs and cats are being traded illegally in the EU, some eight million animals every year.’ This had led to the drafting of the first-ever EU Regulation on minimum welfare standards for dogs and cats, he said.
‘A positive impact on traceability, breeding and the fight against illegal trade’
‘The first EU Regulation for dogs and cats offers a significant opportunity to drive welfare improvements across Europe,’ said Alexandra Hammond-Seaman from RSPCA Europe, adding ‘we believe the Regulation will have a positive impact on traceability, breeding and sales and the fight against the illegal pet trade. We are delighted to have strong participation from candidate and potential candidate countries as they will play an important role in the joint implementation efforts.’
‘Responsible pet ownership starts with choosing the right pet’
Nancy De Briyne, FVE Executive director added: ‘Responsible pet ownership starts with choosing the right pet, registering it correctly and ensuring it receives care and attention throughout its life. Veterinarians are there to guide and support responsible choices.” Judging by the interest and expertise and competence of the parties involved, the welfare, mandatory identification and traceability of dogs and cats in the whole EU have good days ahead.
Proceedings available online
The conference was attended by delegates from 23 European countries, including representatives from competent authorities, representatives of veterinarians and their associations, as well as academia. The programme of the two-day event as well as livestream video recordings of the proceedings of day one and day two are available from the website.
(main photo @Xan Griffin/Unsplash)