Animal Welfare – Written Declaration 26 on dog population management in the European Union has been adopted on Thursday 13 October. In order to become an official position of the European Parliament, the Written Declaration had to be signed by over half the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) within three months. This target was reached this morning.

Now the European Commission will have to respond to this strong appeal to adopt comprehensive dog population management strategies. These include measures such as dog-control and anti-cruelty laws, support for veterinary procedures including rabies vaccination and sterilisation where necessary to control the number of unwanted dogs, and the promotion of responsible pet ownership.

The text of the Declaration can be read here