BRUSSELS
In Europe, legal regulations ensure that stray animals are managed responsibly, preventing them from posing threats on streets and controlling their populations.
Stray animals are rounded up by teams under legal mandates, sterilized and microchipped for identification. Harsh penalties deter pet abandonment, while residential areas remain off-limits to strays.
The issue of stray animals has been addressed through laws in many European countries where hundreds of thousands of animals are abandoned each year.
Alongside deterrent penalties, increasing capacities and improving conditions at shelters have emerged as key solutions to the problem.
Individual European countries have devised their own solutions to address the problem of stray animals.
While some implement methods of collection, adoption, and euthanasia, others enforce fines and imprisonment for those violating rules by abandoning pets on the streets.
Shelters key to absence of stray animals in Belgium, Germany
In Belgium, stray animals are taken to shelters funded by donors. It is mandatory to microchip dogs in the country. When stray dogs are found, their microchips are scanned to initiate contact with their owners, and the animals are then delivered to the nearest shelter in the area.
Dogs taken to shelters and not reclaimed by their owners within the first 15 days are classified as adoptable animals.
Penalties are prominent. Regional governments also encourage citizens to adopt animals from shelters through their projects.
In Belgium's amended law from Aug. 14, 1986, abandoning pets on the streets carries penalties ranging from one to three months imprisonment and fines of €52 to €2,000 ($56 to $2,169). Repeat offenders within three years face doubled penalties, and severe mistreatment could incur fines of up to €12,500.
In Germany, where animal rules are strictly enforced, dog owners pay taxes, contributing €400 million annually to cover some shelter expenses.
Those seeking to adopt aggressive breeds like pit bulls must obtain police permits and undergo training. Aggressive dogs involved in biting incidents are taken to shelters, with owners losing their licenses and no rehoming allowed.
Animals brought to shelters are first checked for microchips to identify owners. If the owner cannot be found or the animal is stray, they are kept in the shelter for six months. According to the German Animal Welfare Act, animals are not euthanized unless they have a severe illness.
Strays are captured from streets and rehabilitated in shelters, some up to 450 days, for potential adoption.
Abandoned dogs, zero strays on streets in Spain, France
In Spain, proactive measures like building shelters, mandatory sterilization, and microchipping effectively manage stray animals. Despite high abandonment rates, collaborative efforts ensure that no stray dogs roam the streets.
Authorities coordinate to control strays, taking them to shelters for sterilization. New laws enforce microchipping and sterilization for pets and impose hefty fines and prison terms for abandonment and cruelty, banning euthanasia for non-health reasons.
In France, with 80 million pets, stray animals are absent in residential areas. Despite around 100,000 annual abandonments, teams collect and shelter them.
All dogs, especially those of dangerous breeds, must be leashed in public, with violators facing fines from €38 to €150.
Around 800 shelters nationwide care for strays, with no mandatory sterilization. Abandoned animals are collected, checked for identification, and transferred to shelters if owners are not found within eight days. Abandoning pets is illegal, punishable by three years in prison and a €45,000 fine.
Unadopted dogs euthanized within one week in UK
In the UK, microchipping dogs is mandatory by law, with owners required to update information when moving. Stray dogs are collected by municipal teams and given a week to be claimed or adopted before euthanasia, with shelters exceeding capacity.
In Greece, volunteer organizations lead in caring for strays, despite municipal responsibility legislated in 2021. These NGOs operate without state funding, relying on their resources. The law mandates pet registration online and sterilization, allowing one litter per pet with reported adoption.
In Italy, laws address stray animal issues comprehensively. Strays undergo health checks and are placed in government-funded shelters if unchipped. Law 281 bans mistreatment and euthanizes only untreatable animals.
Offenders face prison or fines. Municipalities convert euthanasia shelters into rehab centers and promote adoption. Abandoned animals can be adopted after 60 days, while untamable ones may be euthanized with approval.
Constitutional protection for animal rights in Switzerland
In Switzerland, microchipping dogs is mandatory, with plans to extend it to cats. Recognizing animal dignity constitutionally since 1992, the country prohibits degrading their welfare. Strays are collected, given two months for owners to claim, and then potentially adopted.
Euthanasia is rare and reserved for severe cases. State-run shelters are absent; instead, private or NGO facilities manage them. Penalties for abandoning pets vary by canton.
In Sweden, associations have run shelters for dogs since 1908. Mandatory microchipping was introduced in 2001, with around 200,000 dogs in association-run shelters. Lifelong care is ensured for shelter animals, even if owners are found. Municipalities, police, and shelters collaborate on stray management, with shelters offering 24-hour care.
Collection, adoption, euthanasia implemented in Eastern Europe
In Poland, municipalities handle stray animals. Citizens report sightings to the "Eco Patrol" teams, who check for microchips. Animals with chips are returned to owners; others are quarantined, vaccinated, neutered, and sheltered.
Estonia mandates neutering and microchipping pets. Stray animals are collected and two weeks are given to find owners or new homes before euthanasia.
Latvia builds shelters for strays, with euthanasia reserved for incurable illness, irreparable aging, aggression, or owner request after 14 days without adoption.
