Know Which Country Is Licensed When You Have A New Dog At Home

Knowing the laws in place is critical for all dog fans  who are considering having a new dog in their home. Especially if the new animal is one of the breeds considered “potentially dangerous”.

Requirements for obtaining a license for a new dog 

Obtaining an administrative license

The administrative license is granted to the owner by the local government. The procedure is carried out if certain requirements are met.

Among the requirements are: being of legal age, not having a serious criminal record and liability insurance.

• Have a veterinary booklet where it is stated that the animal is up to date with the vaccines.
• Identify the dog using a microchip.
• To be able to walk the dog on public roads, especially in the case of potentially dangerous breeds, it is necessary to fulfill certain requirements.

• The accompanying person must be an authorized person. In addition, the dog must wear safety equipment such as a muzzle.
• Make sure the dog wears a collar over two meters long.

The microchip for a new dog

The microchip is a device that we must implant in the new dog that we are going to have at home.

It is an electronic animal identification system. It consists of two parts: the microchip itself and the capsule that surrounds it.

The device is biocompatible (non-allergenic) and very small, the size of a grain of rice.

Each microchip has a unique numerical code,  as if it were the animal’s DNA.

Thus, in addition to storing information relating to the animal and its owner, this data is recorded in each City Hall.

Among the data are: the owner’s name, address and contact telephone number.

The information must be updated if one of the data changes. They will be used in case of loss of the animal.

Microchip implantation and its usefulness

The process of implanting the chip in a dog, whether it is a new animal or one that does not have the device yet, must be done by a veterinarian.

The microchip’s usefulness is varied

• In the legal scope, the device informs who is the owner or owner of the identified animal.
• If the dog gets lost, both veterinarians, shelters and health authorities will be able to access the device’s data through a reader.
• Furthermore,  with chip identification, it is possible to avoid abandonment. Remember that the law punishes people who abandon or mistreat an animal with high fines.

Spanish law requires owners to identify pets, including cats that do not leave the house.

In some autonomous communities, animals are identified through the chip, and the number of animals that receive the device grows each year.

Identification of a new dog. European legislation

In Europe,  Europetnet is a group of national and local associations that share the identification records  of all pets that have an implanted microchip.

When we travel abroad with our dog and there is a loss, it is  enough to inform the animal’s identification number on the Eueopetnet website.

That way, we’ll have information about the places our pet has been to since the day it got lost.

Europetnet member countries  are: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Slovakia, Spain, Estonia, Denmark, Netherlands, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland.

Taking out insurance

In principle,  taking out insurance for our dog is not mandatory, except in the following cases:

• If it is considered potentially dangerous. In this case, it will be mandatory to take out an insurance policy to cover an indemnity of not less than 120 thousand euros.

• If you reside in the Community of Madrid or in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country. In these Communities, the legislation requires the contracting of Liability Insurance for all dogs, regardless of the breed and size of the animal.