New EU law means cats and dogs must be microchipped

All dogs and cats in Germany will soon need to be microchipped under EU law. Bans on breeding pets with extreme characteristics and inbreeding are also included in the law.

New EU law on microchipping pets

The EU Parliament has approved a bill that sets standards for the breeding, housing, traceability, import, and handling of cats and dogs in member states. This is the first-ever law of its kind proposed for the EU, with the aim of putting an end to “abusive practices, curb[ing] cruel business methods and protect[ing] the health of cats and dogs”.

Under the new rules, microchipping dogs and cats will be mandatory, whether you’re a pet owner, breeder or shelter. Microchipping requirements will apply to sellers, breeders and shelters in all member states four years after the regulation is implemented. 

Pet owners will need to follow the new rules within 10 years after enforcement for dogs and 15 years for cats. The animals will also need to be registered in national databases that other countries can access. 

The German Animal Protection Agency (Deutscher Tierschutzbund) already strongly recommends that pet owners microchip their pets, but it is not currently obligatory.

EU law should improve cat and dog welfare

As part of the new rules, the EU also plans to ban breeding dogs and cats with exaggerated characteristics that cause health issues, such as the short nose of a pug or the folded ears of a Scottish Fold. Inbreeding of animals to retain “pedigree” will also be forbidden. 

Additionally, the EU measures will put a stop to “mutilation of dogs and cats for shows, exhibitions and competitions”. This refers to tail docking, ear cropping, debarking and declawing, for example. 

The rules aim to improve the welfare of dogs and cats in the home too, with regulations prohibiting tying an animal to an object, except when necessary for a medical treatment, and prong or choke collars. 

“Our message is clear: a pet is a family member, not an object or a toy,” Rapporteur and Agriculture and Rural Development Committee chair Veronika Vrecionová said in a press release.

“We finally have stricter rules on breeding and traceability that will help us push back against those who see animals as a means of making a quick profit. At the same time, we are levelling the playing field for honest breeders in the EU.”

The regulation still needs to be adopted by the EU Council, which is expected to support the proposal. The European Commission expects the new rules to be implemented in 2028.