Animal Action Greece stands with over 50 organisations calling for stricter amendments to the Regulation on the welfare of dogs and cats and their traceability.
We are proud to have signed the joint open letter to Members of the European Parliament, calling for decisive action to protect companion animals across the EU.
Snatched from their mothers, hidden inside cars, terminally ill, and smuggled across borders by unscrupulous sellers – only to die shortly after being sold to their unsuspecting new owners. This is the heartbreaking reality of thousands of puppies and kittens illegally traded in the European Union each year. With the EU’s annual demand for dogs valued at an estimated 4.6 billion euros, the illegal trade is thriving due to legal loopholes and inconsistent regulations across Member States: 79% of these dogs cannot be traced back to verified or legal sources, according to global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS.
With a vote scheduled on 14th May on the “Regulation on the welfare of dogs and cats and their traceability” by the AGRI Committee, Animal Action Greece joins over 50 organisations in urging Members of the European Parliament to seize this rare opportunity to create meaningful, long-lasting change for animal welfare across the EU and dismantle the criminal cross-border networks fuelling this trade.
“This regulation has the potential to radically shift how animals are bred, sold, and protected in the EU. For far too long, we’ve seen the devastating effects of an unregulated market — animals abandoned, sick, and suffering. Mandatory registration and traceability won’t just expose illegal operations; it will also give us the tools we need to plan, protect and prioritise welfare,” says Serafina Avramidou, Animal Welfare Manager at Animal Action Greece.
Animal Action Greece supports the two crucial amendments to the regulation proposed by FOUR PAWS:
- Mandatory identification and registration (I&R) of all cats and dogs in the EU, ensuring that animals and their sellers can be traced, leaving no room for trafficking, illegal breeding or unregulated trading.
- Verification of all online ads for cats and dogs, so that an animal’s I&R details are checked before any sale is permitted — making the process more transparent and accountable, and offering protection to both animals and prospective owners.
Beyond improving animal welfare in commercial breeding and pet sales, these measures would also bring tangible benefits to stray animals. I&R, if applied to strays, can help authorities monitor populations, support health interventions, and enable targeted, humane control through methods such as “Catch-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return” (CNVR) — an approach long championed and undertaken by Animal Action Greece.
Animal Action Greece proudly stands with FOUR PAWS and dozens of other organisations across the EU in calling on MEPs to strengthen this vital regulation. Now is the time to close loopholes, end exploitation, and give animals the legal protections they desperately need.
