There has been a ban on the sale of dogs and cats on markets for almost 30 years, but the Brussels parliament now wants to extend this to all animal species. The new law should avoid impulse buying and neglect.
In addition, parliament also wants to put a stop to a widespread form of animal neglect: permanently tying up or locking up dogs in small spaces. Many of the complaints received by Brussels Environment concern suspected animal abuse due to keeping dogs in poor conditions.
However, the inspection and police services have limited options to act in these situations, because there is simply no legal basis for drawing up an official report. The new measure should change that. With an explicit ban on keeping dogs continuously or habitually tethered or confined unless a vet issues a written recommendation, veterinary inspectors and police now have a solid legal basis to intervene.
Codex
However, the two measures remain small compared to the long-awaited Animal Welfare codex, which for the first time includes all animal welfare legislation in a code and provides for high fines for those who abuse animals. Although there is consensus on the codex itself, the PS has been holding up its approval for weeks out of fear of an amendment that would ban slaughter without stunning.
