The trade in companion animals is controversial in itself, bearing in mind the large numbers of dogs and cats in shelters waiting to be adopted for free. Purchasing a cat or a dog means sentencing other animals to more time behind bars.
Domestic cat - Brasilia, Brazil, 2012
The consequences of the international trade in puppies can be even more serious, especially in the absence of a mandatory system of Identification and Registration (I&R) of companion animals across Europe. This market is characterised by illegal breeding, poor health conditions, appalling transportation and countless deaths.
The best solution is for people to avoid buying animals altogether and adopt them from a shelter instead. Nevertheless, as long as there are those who decide to buy dogs or cats, stricter checks should be established by law.
VIER PFOTEN/FOUR PAWS, TASSO, Eurogroup For Animals, and the Representation of the German State of Baden-Württemberg to the EU organised a conference on the “Welfare of dogs and cats involved in commercial practices”, which took place on Thursday 12 November 2015 in the Representation of the State of Baden-Württemberg to the European Union, in Brussels.
Four consecutive expert panels were held throughout the day. Within the conference, representatives of institutions and NGOs convened to discuss the present situation and propose possible solutions.
The EU Commission also presented the outcome of the study they commissioned on the welfare of dogs and cats involved in commercial practices.
You can find a detailed conference agenda on the Baden-Württemberg representation website.
The press releases issued at the end of the conference is available on the CAROdog website.
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