The stray animal decree of Hungary has been completed – we show the details
The government has passed a government decree on the performance of tasks related to the capture, transfer of ownership and accommodation of stray animals, which regulates in detail the responsibilities and control of ebred farms, the Ministry of Agriculture said.
The aim of the regulation is to create a suitable and up-to-date environment from the point of view of public health, animal health and animal welfare, which will increase the professional standard and transparency of the farms, improve the welfare and health of the animals kept on the farms. The minimum retention period for healthy animals will increase from 14 days to 45 days, with detailed records of the animals and a mandatory website.
Aben explains: Act XXVIII of 1998 on the protection and welfare of animals Act (Animal Welfare Act) authorized the government to regulate in a decree the detailed rules for the capture and care of stray animals.
The decree – with the extensive preparation of Péter Ovádi, the Ministerial Commissioner for the Renewal and Implementation of the National Animal Welfare Program, the National Animal Welfare Council, the authorities, professional institutions and animal welfare NGOs – was issued by the end of 2021, enabling standardization of its operational framework, they said.
The scope of the decree extends from the establishment of farms to the definition of day-to-day maintenance tasks.
According to the regulation, each municipality must have its own public health benefits or contract.
An important change is that all colonies or masters will be required to keep a numbered, chronological record of the species, breed, sex, age (or estimated age), trait, unique identifier, immunization, and conditions of capture of the captured or released animal. The regulation also stipulates the mandatory opening hours of the sites, as well as their availability by phone and e-mail, they wrote.
All animals may be microchiped, vaccinated against rabies, neutered or subjected to a neutering obligation, treated with a dewormer, by written agreement, and the turfmaster or ebredry farm may not charge a harvest fee for the animal from an organization registered in Hungary. In all cases, efforts should be made to find the original host. The regulation defines the minimum housing area, the individual minimum care requirements and the rules for group housing: only animals of the same sex, neutered and showing aggression against each other may be placed in the same accommodation, according to the communication.
Permanent restraint of dogs is prohibited in Hungary.
The government decree on the keeping and marketing of pets has been clarified: it limits the cases in which a temporary restraint may take place, and the minimum running length is determined by comparing the size of the animal, they wrote.
Some of the changes will take effect on January 1, 2022, and some will take effect on July 1, 2022, providing the right preparation conditions for lawnmower farms operating at the current stage of the regulation. Further details of the Government Decree can be found at In the Hungarian Gazette – can be read in the Ministry’s statement.
Cover photo illustration.