The draft, filed by lawmaker Katarzyna Piekarska and members of the ruling liberal Civic Coalition (KO), would replace tethering with mandatory kennels sized to a dog’s height at the withers: 10 sq m for animals under 50 cm, 15 sq m for those 51–65 cm and 20 sq m for larger dogs, according to the paper.
Backers argue the current law — which allows chaining on tethers no shorter than three meters for up to 12 hours a day — is unenforceable because inspectors cannot reliably determine how long an animal has been restrained. The only humane way to limit a dog’s movement on private property should be a kennel, the sponsors say.
Parliament is expected to back the change, Rzeczpospolita wrote, with the main uncertainty being whether the president will sign it. The initiative is the first product of a special parliamentary committee on animal protection, created in October last year after a surge of proposals reached the Sejm.
Among the highest-profile submissions is a citizen bill titled “Stop chains, puppy mills and pet homelessness,” delivered with about 500,000 signatures and endorsed by prominent cultural figures, the newspaper said. In total, the committee has received 10 projects, including two to ban fur farming and two to prohibit loud fireworks.
Other ideas would limit the number of passengers in horse-drawn carriages on the route to the Tatry Mountains’ tourist hotspot Morskie Oko and introduce universal microchipping for dogs and cats.
Deputy Speaker Dorota Niedziela, who chairs the committee, told the paper the chain-ban bill would be taken up first, with its initial reading scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 9.
A proposal to close mink farms is expected to follow in the legislative queue, Rzeczpospolita reported.
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Source: PAP, Rzeczpospolita