On Monday 11 November, Four Paws called on the EU to introduce stricter measures to regulate the trade in dogs and cats, including mandatory identification and registration of all pets.
The NGO is calling for verification systems to be put in place across the EU to ensure that dogs sold on classified ad sites are properly registered before ads are uploaded (see EUROPE 13469/13).
The demand for dogs in the EU has skyrocketed, and criminal networks can make money by intensively breeding popular breeds “in inhumane conditions and selling illegally imported and often underage puppies online”, Four Paws denounces in a report. In particular, it reveals that almost six million dogs are needed every year to meet demand in the EU, in an industry that generates an estimated turnover of €4.6 billion a year. According to the report, 79% of these dogs cannot be traced back to verified or legal sources. The EU Council and European Parliament are in the process of negotiating an agreement on the welfare of dogs and cats (see EUROPE 13443/21).
Link to the report: https://aeur.eu/f/e9q (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)