Minister of Rural Affairs Hendrik Terras said that the draft has been circulated among ministries. Now they are working with comments to ensure everyone is satisfied. This draft concerns cats, dogs, and ferrets.
After considering the feedback, the draft law will be sent to Europe. There it will be checked to ensure it complies with EU legislation. Once this is done, the draft can be submitted to the government.
The start of the microchipping requirement depends on how quickly the law is adopted. The goal is to move forward quickly because the problem is growing.
Terras explained that microchipping is necessary to link pets to their owners. If a cat ends up in a shelter, it can be quickly returned to its owner using the microchip.
Currently, there are many pet registries, but the new law will create a single registry under PRIA. From there, everyone can get the necessary information.
Terras said that dog microchipping was implemented 20 years ago and works well. The goal is to help cats and reduce the number of stray animals.
Shelters emphasize that microchipping cats is very important. Currently, only a few cats can have their owners called. Many more cats end up in shelters than dogs. Therefore, this problem needs to be solved.