Owners will be able to officially register their pets: is it necessary to chip cats and dogs

Ukraine is launching a two-year experimental project to improve the system of identification and registration of pets. In the future, this should provide owners with access to digital veterinary documents, simplify the search for lost pets, and enable the state to more effectively control rabies vaccination and keep records of stray animals.

Registration for owners will be voluntary and free of charge, with dogs, cats, and domestic ferrets (ferrets) being the first to be included in the system.

The government has approved the implementation of an experimental project for the identification and/or registration of pets, including stray animals.

At the same time, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the Procedure for implementing the experimental project, which defines the mechanism for improving the identification and registration of pets, the mechanism for accounting, replacement (reissuance) of veterinary passports, as well as ordering veterinary passport forms.

Additionally, the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture has been instructed to ensure the transformation of the Unified State Register of Pets into the Unified State Register of Pets, including stray animals.

Which animals will be registered

The first stage of the experimental project will cover dogs, cats, and domestic ferrets. These species are subject to identification according to European approaches.

The project is implemented in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On Veterinary Medicine and Animal Welfare" and aims to bring the Ukrainian animal identification system closer to European standards.

Registration will be voluntary and free

For pet owners, registration in the state register will be voluntary and free of charge.

Information can be entered into the register at state and private veterinary institutions participating in the project.

At the same time, veterinary services, including chipping or vaccination, will be paid according to current tariffs.

The legislation does not provide for mandatory registration of pets.

Is it necessary to chip the animal

Chipping is not a mandatory condition for registration.

However, owners are recommended to chip their animals, as this significantly simplifies the search and return of lost pets.

If the animal already has a microchip, it does not need to be reinstalled — the veterinarian will simply read the information and enter it into the state register.

How registration will take place

Information will be entered into the register by veterinarians of state and private clinics working with the system.

During registration, the owner or their official representative must provide the necessary data and sign the relevant application, after which the veterinarian will identify the animal or scan its microchip.

Therefore, remote or online registration is not provided.

The new system will also allow transferring information from existing veterinary passports to the state register without reissuing documents.

What opportunities the new register will provide

After registration, information about the pet will be stored in a unified digital system, including vaccination data, veterinary documents, and other necessary information.

In case of loss of the paper veterinary passport, the information can be quickly restored.

One of the key advantages will be the ability to promptly return lost pets to their owners. If the animal has a microchip or is registered in the system, the veterinarian or authorized institution will be able to quickly identify its owner.

The register will also help to more effectively control vaccination, including against rabies, and prevent the spread of dangerous diseases.

How the accounting of stray animals will change

A separate direction of the project will be the centralized accounting of stray animals.

The register will allow forming up-to-date data on their number and more effectively planning responsible animal care programs.

Stray animals will be registered by municipal services or other legal entities authorized by local governments and licensed to conduct veterinary practice.

When the system will be fully operational

The register has already been created and transferred to the balance of the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture.

During the first pilot phase, over 6,000 pets have already been entered into the system.

A new testing phase involving state veterinary clinics is planned soon. After completing the integration of veterinary information systems, private veterinary institutions will gradually join the project.

After the successful implementation of the experimental project, the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture, together with the Ministry of Digital Transformation, will work on integrating the digital veterinary passport into the "Diia" app.

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