Overview
- The European Parliament, which approved the pet welfare and traceability regulation Tuesday, sent the measure to EU governments for final sign-off.
- The law will require microchips and entries in national databases that link across borders so authorities can match a found animal to its owner and spot illegal sales.
- Breeders, sellers and shelters have four years to comply, and private owners have ten years for dogs and fifteen for cats, with exemptions such as farm cats and some show or service animals.
- Non-commercial travel rules are now tighter, with a five-pet limit per vehicle for dogs, cats or ferrets and stricter papers including updated passports and new health certificates that roll in over the next two years.
- Online marketplaces must show a listing’s chip number and origin so buyers can see who owns the animal and where it was born, a change aimed at curbing internet-driven trade worth about €1.3 billion a year.