EU Approves First-Ever Animal Welfare Rules for Cats and Dogs, with Microchipping Becoming Mandatory

The European Parliament has approved the first-ever EU-wide rules on the welfare and traceability of cats and dogs, in a vote that introduces mandatory microchipping, bans certain forms of breeding, and outlaws practices like tail docking and the use of choke collars. The bill was passed by 558 votes in favour, 35 against, and 52 abstentions.

Around 44 percent of EU citizens have a pet, and 74 percent want them to be better protected. The trade in dogs and cats has grown into a €1.3 billion-a-year industry, with around 60 percent of owners now buying their animals online, often across borders and with little oversight. Until now, there have been no common EU-wide animal welfare standards for pets, which the European Commission says has allowed unscrupulous breeders and traders to exploit the gaps. The new regulation aims to close them.

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Microchipping for every cat and dog

The headline change is that all dogs and cats kept in the EU, including those owned privately, will need to be microchipped and registered in national databases that are linked across the bloc. This will allow authorities in any member state to identify a pet and trace it back to its owner or breeder.

Sellers, breeders, and shelters will have four years from the law entering into force to comply. For private pet owners who do not sell animals, the obligation will apply ten years after entry into force for dogs, and fifteen years for cats.

The Netherlands is already partly ahead of the curve. Microchipping and registering dogs has been compulsory in the country since 2013, and must be done within seven weeks of a puppy's birth or within two weeks of arrival in the Netherlands. The new EU rules extend the same logic to cats, and create a shared cross-border system.

Bans on extreme breeding and inbreeding

The regulation also targets breeding practices that lead to health problems. Breeding dogs or cats with "exaggerated or excessive traits" that cause significant health risks will be banned. This includes well-known examples like the flat-faced pugs and bulldogs, which often suffer from breathing problems, and the folded ears of Scottish Fold cats, which are linked to painful cartilage and joint conditions.

Inbreeding, often used to maintain "pedigree" lines, will also be forbidden. Specifically, breeding between parents and offspring, between grandparents and grandchildren, and between siblings or half-siblings will no longer be allowed.

Here, too, the Netherlands has already moved ahead in some areas. Since 2014, Dutch rules have prohibited the breeding of dogs with very short muzzles, and earlier this year the country introduced a ban on owning folded-ear and hairless cats.

A stop to "mutilation" and harsh handling

The new EU rules include a clear ban on what the regulation calls the "mutilation" of dogs and cats for shows, exhibitions, or competitions. This covers tail docking, ear cropping, debarking (cutting the vocal cords to prevent barking), and declawing.

Everyday handling of pets is covered as well. Tying a dog or cat to an object, known as tethering, will be prohibited unless it is necessary for medical treatment. The use of prong and choke collars without built-in safety mechanisms will also be banned.

Closing import loopholes

The regulation also tries to close loopholes that have allowed dogs and cats to be brought into the EU under the guise of being personal pets, only to be sold on. Dogs and cats imported from non-EU countries for sale will need to be microchipped before entering the EU and registered in a national database.

For people travelling into the EU with their own pet, there will be a new requirement: their microchipped animal must be pre-registered in a database at least five working days before arrival, unless it is already registered in an EU country.

"A pet is a family member"

Veronika Vrecionová, the Czech MEP who chairs the European Parliament's Agriculture and Rural Development Committee and led the work on the file, framed the new rules as both an animal welfare measure and a protection for legitimate breeders.

"Today we have taken an important step towards bringing real order to the trade in dogs and cats in the European Union," she said. "Our message is clear: a pet is a family member, not an object or a toy. We finally have stronger 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."

What happens next

The regulation has now passed the European Parliament, but it still needs to be formally adopted by the EU Council, the body representing the member states. The Council is expected to back the proposal, after having already reached a political agreement with Parliament in November 2025. According to the European Commission, the rules are expected to enter into force in 2028, with the various deadlines for breeders, shelters, and pet owners counting from that date.

For owners in the Netherlands, the practical day-to-day impact may be relatively limited, as many of the headline measures, especially around dog microchipping and short-muzzled breeding, are already covered by Dutch law. The biggest changes will likely come for cat owners, who will eventually need to chip and register their cats, and for anyone bringing a pet into the country from outside the EU.