If you are a dog owner, it is mandatory from 2020 to be able to show a dog passport for your dog. The introduction of a dog passport is an important step in the fight against rogue breeders and dealers. The European pet passport in question, issued by a veterinarian, contains information about the origin, previous owners and the medical history of the dog. In this way, new owners get a better insight into the background of the dog they buy. The measure is part of a package of measures aimed at improving animal welfare.
Mandatory dog passport from 2020
- Introduction of compulsory dog passport
- Content dog passport
- Issuance and costs
- Various animal welfare measures
Introduction of compulsory dog passport
From 2020 it is mandatory for your dog to have a dog passport to have. This was announced by Minister Schouten of Agriculture in October 2018, not entirely coincidentally on World Animal Day. The main motivation behind the introduction of a passport requirement for dogs is the approach to the rogue dog trade. Since January 1, 2020, dog owners are required to show a passport for their dog when requested by a supervisor. Those who cannot do this can be fined for this. It is also possible that a penalty is imposed.
Originally the intention was to introduce the dog passport as of 2018, but this turned out to be administratively not feasible. The existing databases in which data about dogs and their owners are kept could not be sufficiently harmonized before 2020.
Content dog passport
It’s about a European pet passport. Such a passport contains different information than a human passport. For example, it mainly contains information about the dog’s past. It states the origin, the previous owners and any medical information. This allows the buyer of a dog to gain a better understanding of a dog’s background and makes it more difficult to trade illegally bred dogs. Of the approximately 150,000 dogs that are bought annually in the Netherlands, about a third come from abroad (measured in 2018). It is often difficult for prospective owners to determine the background of these dogs and whether there are any dormant health problems. A dog passport should make this more transparent.
Issuance and costs
The dog’s passport and registration are now linked. Veterinarians and licensed chippers have been made responsible for the correct registration of the birth of a dog instead of the breeder. For example, it is no longer possible to make large-scale fraud with these data by presenting births as occasional nests.
A European pet passport was already mandatory for owners who wanted to take their dog, cat or ferret on a trip within Europe. This passport can only be issued by licensed veterinarians. At the announcement of the introduction, Minister Schouten of Agriculture has already indicated that he believes that the costs certainly outweigh the animal suffering it will prevent. Applying for a dog passport only costs a few euros.
Various animal welfare measures
The introduction of a compulsory passport for dogs is just one of many measures from a whole package that should improve animal welfare. In 2018, for example, the government set great store by tackling malicious breeders and the Ministry of Agriculture supports the initiative of the quality mark for bona fide animal breeders. It will also be possible to impose an independent ban on keeping animals for a period of ten years on people convicted of animal cruelty. Inspectors from the National Animal Protection Inspectorate (LID) can immediately confiscate the animals in case of violation. In addition, stricter rules are being introduced in the field of the transport of livestock and the docking or amputation of tails and ears in animals is being tackled more strictly.
