4COMPANION ANIMALS
Introduction
There is still only a limited amount of legislation to protect the welfare of companion animals. According to the Civil code 5, article 8, stray animals are regarded as lost property that may be kept for the owner for a period of 14 days. In addition, the Dog and Cat Decree establishes regulations for the commercially keeping dogs and cats in shelters, the trade in these species and for breeders, catteries and kennels. Amongst other things, these regulations pertain to the professional competencies of breeders and dealers and the norms for housing, care, vaccination, identification/registration and the frequency of litters.
There are no regulations for other pet animal species. This is largely the fault of the government, which has sought to do away with many regulations in recent years; unfortunately these are also rules that should protect defenceless animals. For example, the government wants to abolish the Dog and Cat Decree, which was only enacted in 2002, in the misguided belief that the market can regulate itself. Only the animal trade, both legal and illegal, will profit from this.
The enforcement of the law also leaves a lot to be desired. As far as animal abuse is concerned, the judiciary has demonstrated a great lack of preparedness to impose adequate punishments. In addition to criminal prosecution, businesses that abuse/neglect animals should also be sanctioned in other ways, such as governmental duress, penalties, the imposition of fines on management and the (permanent or partial) closure of the business/institution.
Animal abuse and neglect
Measures
| 4.1 | Animal abuse must be punished more severely. The Public Prosecutor should give a higher priority to more frequently bringing those suspected of animal cruelty to trial. The judiciary must impose higher penalties and (lengthy or permanent) bans on keeping and/or trading in animals more often. |
| 4.2 | The authorities should give greater priority to tracing offences and enforcing animal welfare legislation. In order to realise this an animal police force, consisting of a minimum of 50 officers, should be introduced. These animal police should be granted sufficient powers to be able to seize animals. |
| 4.3 | There is a strong link between domestic violence and animal abuse. A national registration system should be introduced in which information about potentially violent situations from various institutions should be coupled. Veterinarians will then be able to report suspicious injuries in an animal, while at the same time other child welfare agencies and the police can report their suspicions of domestic abuse. In this way, problem families can be located and a great deal of human and animal suffering could be prevented. |
Animal trade
Measures
| 4.4 | Breeders and vendors should keep their animals in a welfare-friendly way, which is appropriate to the behavioural needs of the animals. The Dog and Cat Decree must be enforced in this regard. |
| 4.5 | All firms involved in the trade of companion animals should be compulsorily certified. |
| 4.6 | There should be a legal requirement for dogs and cats to be identified and registered by, among other things, the implantation of microchips. |
| 4.7 | The certification requirements should stipulate that the vendor must provide extensive and written information about the care of the animal before it is sold. In addition, the vendor of an animal should be required to take responsibility to ensure that the prospective owner will be able to keep the animal in a welfare-friendly way. |
| 4.8 | Employees that sell animals must have received training to guarantee that they possess sufficient knowledge about the animals on sale. |
| 4.9 | In the documentation of sale, dog dealers must list the owner of the mother animal of the pups in question and where they reside. |
| 4.10 | The sale of puppies and kittens without a mother in pet shops should be banned. |
| 4.11 | There should be a ban on the trade in animals that have been bred abroad under poor conditions. Dutch certified dealers should only acquire animals from foreign firms that operate according to Dutch standards. |
| 4.12 | When a dealer is caught violating the breeding and import regulations, then he should be liable for the costs for the veterinary treatment of the animals that may ensue. The new owner will also receive these above average costs without having to sue the vendor. In addition, a ban on keeping and trading animals must be imposed on the dealer. |
Breeding
Selective breeding can result in animals not being born in a natural way, chronic respiratory problems, skeletal deformities or various congenital problems that result in premature death.
Measures
| 4.13 | There must be a ban on breeding animals that experience health and welfare problems as a consequence of selective breeding practices. This ban must be accompanied by the prohibition of the showing and trade in such breeds. Article 55 of the Animal Health and Welfare Act (1992) must be fully realised in this regard. |
Regulation for aggressive animals (RAD)
In the Netherlands it is forbidden to keep and breed pit-bull type dogs, unless they have a valid FCI (World Canine Organisation) pedigree. Such dogs, which are bred by foreign and illegal breeders, are subsequently confiscated and killed in the Netherlands. The merciless killing of such animals should be brought to an end.
Measures
| 4.14 | The government should regularly provide information about the ban on keeping pit-bulls. |
| 4.15 | Breeders and buyers of illegal pit-bull type dogs should be severely punished. |
| 4.16 | The RAD should be re-evaluated sooner. |
Shelter and care of companion animals
Measures
| 4.17 | The government should provide financial support for a national network of certified shelters for species other than cats and dogs. |
| 4.18 | People should be given the right to keep their pets when they are institutionalised. This will prevent many animals from ending up in shelters. |
| 4.19 | Disaster plans should also devote adequate attention to ensuring that animals are also brought into safety in the event of a calamity. |
Non-domesticated species
Many animals are not suitable to be kept as pets. There are many problems relating to their care and the provision of an appropriate living environment. As a consequence, these animals often end up in shelters.
Measures
| 4.20 | A restricted ‘positive list’ should be drawn up, which lists all species that are suitable to be kept as pets. Animals that are not included on this list cannot be sold or traded. It is safe to say that animals that have been caught in the wild are unsuitable as pets. |
Nutrition
High-quality manufactured food is vital to ensuring animal welfare and is a primary necessity of life for them. Yet the food that is specially designed for particular species is still considered a luxury good. This is why pet food is currently subject to the highest rate of VAT (19%). This is in stark contrast to the feed for production animals.
Measures
| 4.21 | A low VAT rate (6%) should apply to high-quality manufactured (organic) foods for all domestic animals. This, however, should only apply only to dietary products that have not been tested on animals. |