Without chains and with mandatory walks: Poland is preparing a new law for dog owners

In Poland, a bill is being considered that aims to significantly improve the conditions for keeping pets. The document has already been supported by the lower house of parliament — the Sejm, and is now being reviewed by the Senate.

If the law is finally adopted, owners will be prohibited from keeping dogs and cats constantly on a leash, and new requirements for enclosures, kennels, and daily dog walking will be introduced.

Animals will no longer be allowed to be kept constantly on a leash

One of the main innovations is the prohibition of keeping dogs and cats constantly on a chain or other leash.

At the same time, the law does not prohibit keeping dogs in enclosures. However, owners will have to comply with a number of mandatory requirements for this.

What enclosures should be like

The enclosure must be spacious enough for the dog to walk, run, and behave naturally.

In addition:

• the structure must be sturdy and safe;
• at least two walls must allow daylight and provide constant access to fresh air;
• the owner is obliged to release the dog from the enclosure for a walk every day. The duration should correspond to the age, health condition, and needs of the animal.

If the dog lives in an enclosure, an unheated room, or outdoors, it will be mandatory to provide an insulated kennel. It must be made of wood or wood-based materials, protect against cold, heat, rain, and snow, and correspond to the size of the animal.

The minimum size of the enclosure will be determined separately

The law itself does not establish specific enclosure sizes.

These standards will later be approved by the Ministry of Agriculture of Poland. When determining the minimum area, the following will be taken into account:

• the height of the dog;
• the number of dogs kept together;
• special conditions for females with puppies up to three months old.

When a leash will be allowed

The bill leaves several exceptions when temporary use of a leash will be permitted.

In particular, this concerns:

• transporting the animal;
• participation in exhibitions;
• veterinary examination or treatment;
• short-term keeping of the dog outside its permanent residence, if it does not harm its health and welfare.

The new rules will also not apply to service dogs.

In addition, the requirements regarding the minimum size of enclosures will not apply to dogs in shelters, as well as to certain categories of pedigree dogs kept in specialized kennels.

What else the Senate proposes

During the consideration of the bill, senators proposed two clarifying amendments.

The first concerns females nursing puppies. The original text could be interpreted as requiring a separate kennel for each puppy. The Senate proposed to explicitly state that puppies up to three months old can stay together with their mother in one kennel.

The second amendment proposes not to apply the minimum enclosure size requirements to shepherd dogs working during seasonal livestock grazing.

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