Residential areas in Europe are devoid of stray animals due to strict regulations

BRUSSELS

In Europe, legislation ensures the responsible management of stray animals, preventing them from becoming a hazard on the streets and controlling their population.

Stray animals are caught by teams legally, sterilized and microchipped for identification. Severe penalties discourage animal abandonment, and residential areas remain off-limits to homeless people.

The issue of homeless animals has been resolved in the laws of many European countries, where hundreds of thousands of animals are abandoned every year.

In addition to deterrent penalties, increasing capacity and improving conditions in shelters have proven to be key solutions to the problem.

Individual European countries have developed their own solutions to the problem of homeless animals.

While some implement hoarding, adoption and euthanasia methods, others enforce fines and jail time for violators by abandoning animals on the streets.

Shelters are the key to the lack of homeless animals in Belgium and Germany

In Belgium, homeless animals go to shelters funded by donors. The country requires dogs to be microchipped. Once stray dogs are found, their microchips are scanned to establish contact with their owners, and the animals are then delivered to the nearest shelter in the area.

Dogs taken to shelters and not picked up by their owners within the first 15 days are classified as adoptable animals.

The penalties are visible. Regional authorities, through their projects, also encourage citizens to adopt animals from shelters.

According to the amended Belgian law of August 14, 1986, abandoning pets on the streets is punishable by one to three months’ imprisonment and a fine ranging from 52 to 2,000 euros ($56 to $2,169). Repeat offenders who commit an offense within three years face a double penalty, while serious abuse can result in a fine of up to €12,500.

In Germany, where animal laws are strictly enforced, dog owners pay taxes, contributing €400 million a year to cover some shelter expenses.

People who want to adopt aggressive breeds such as pit bulls must obtain police permits and undergo training. Aggressive dogs that have been bitten end up in shelters, and their owners lose their licenses and are prevented from finding a new home.

Animals brought to shelters are first checked for microchips to identify owners. If the owner cannot be found or the animal gets lost, it is sent to a shelter for six months. According to the German Animal Welfare Act, animals are not euthanized unless they suffer from a serious disease.

Homeless animals are grabbed off the streets and rehabilitated in shelters, some for up to 450 days, for potential adoption.

Abandoned dogs, no homeless people on the streets of Spain or France

In Spain, proactive measures such as building shelters, mandatory sterilization and microchipping are effective in dealing with stray animals. Despite the high abandonment rate, concerted efforts ensure that no stray dogs wander the streets.

Authorities are working together to control stray animals and take them to shelters for sterilization. The new laws force pets to be microchipped and sterilized, impose heavy fines and prison terms for abandonment and cruelty, and prohibit euthanasia for reasons other than health.

In France, where 80 million pets live, there are no stray animals in residential areas. Despite approximately 100,000 abandonments a year, teams collect and protect them.
All dogs, especially those of dangerous breeds, must be kept on a leash in public places, and violators face fines ranging from 38 to 150 euros.

About 800 shelters throughout the country take care of homeless animals, without mandatory sterilization. Abandoned animals are collected, checked for identification and returned to shelters if owners are not found within eight days. Abandoning pets is illegal and punishable by three years in prison and a fine of €45,000.

Unadopted dogs euthanized in one week in UK

In the UK, dogs are required by law to be microchipped and owners are obliged to update their information if they move. Stray dogs are picked up by city teams and given a week to be picked up or adopted before being euthanized, and shelters are reaching capacity.

In Greece, voluntary organizations are at the forefront of caring for the homeless, even though municipal liability legislation was introduced in 2021. These NGOs operate without state funding and rely on their own resources. The law requires online animal registration and sterilization, allowing one litter per animal in the event of a reported adoption.

In Italy, regulations comprehensively regulate the issue of homeless animals. Stray animals undergo health checks and, if they are not microchipped, are placed in government-funded shelters. Law 281 prohibits ill-treatment and only euthanizes animals that cannot be treated.

Violators face imprisonment or a fine. Local authorities are transforming euthanasia shelters into rehabilitation centers and promoting adoption. Abandoned animals can be adopted after 60 days, while those that cannot be tamed can be euthanized with consent.

Constitutional protection of animal rights in Switzerland

In Switzerland, microchipping is mandatory for dogs, and there are plans to extend it to cats. Having constitutionally recognized the dignity of animals since 1992, the country prohibits the degradation of their welfare. Homeless animals are picked up, the owner has two months to file a complaint, and then potentially adopted.

Euthanasia is rare and reserved for severe cases. There is a shortage of state shelters; instead, they are managed by private institutions or non-governmental organizations. Penalties for abandoning animals vary by canton.

In Sweden, associations have been running dog shelters since 1908. Compulsory microchipping was introduced in 2001 and there are approximately 200,000 dogs in shelters run by associations. Shelter animals are cared for throughout their lives, even if they find owners. Local authorities, police and shelters work together to manage the homeless, and shelters offer 24-hour care.

Collection, adoption, euthanasia implemented in Eastern Europe

In Poland, municipalities deal with homeless animals. Citizens report observations to “Eco Patrol” teams, who check for the presence of microchips. Animals with chips are returned to their owners; others are quarantined, vaccinated, neutered and sheltered.

Estonia mandates castration and microchipping of animals. Stray animals are rounded up and given two weeks to find owners or new homes before being euthanized.

Latvia builds shelters for the homeless, and euthanasia is reserved for incurable diseases, irreversible aging, aggression or the owner’s request after 14 days without adoption.

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