The bill, an amendment to the animal protection law commonly referred to as the “chain law”, was rejected on Wednesday after lawmakers fell short of the three-fifths majority required to override a presidential veto.
A total of 192 MPs voted against overturning the veto, including members of the right-wing populist Law and Justice (PiS) party and the far-right Confederation grouping. PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński did not take part in the vote.
The proposed legislation sought to prohibit keeping dogs permanently chained and to introduce detailed standards for outdoor kennels.
These included minimum size requirements depending on the dog’s weight, a partially roofed and hardened surface, and structural rules designed to ensure basic animal welfare.
Limited exemptions were allowed, such as the use of a leash during walks, transport or short-term tethering under conditions that would not harm the animal.
"It's the dogs I feel sorry for" - PM Tusk criticises PiS over presidential veto
Prime Minister Donald Tusk reacted sharply to the outcome.
In a post on social media, he accuse PiS, which supports President Nawrocki, of retreating from the issue, writing that the party had “meekly backed down and upheld the president’s veto”, adding that it amounted to a “symbolic capitulation” by Jarosław Kaczyński, who, he said, “lacked the courage to stand up for animals and avoided the vote”.
“It’s the dogs I feel sorry for,” Tusk concluded. The phrasing, rich in political irony, was intended to underline what he portrayed as moral failure rather than merely a procedural defeat.
Supporters of the bill came primarily from the governing parties, including Civic Coalition (KO), the Polish People’s Party (PSL), Poland 2050 and the Left.
Opponents argued that the legislation was either unnecessary or poorly drafted. Zbigniew Bogucki, head of the president’s chancellery, told parliament that the dispute was “not really about animal welfare”, accusing the prime minister of exploiting the issue for political attacks.
Despite the defeat, Deputy Prime Minister and defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said the government would not abandon the effort. He pledged that the ruling coalition would continue to work on new proposals, stressing that there was room to take into account concerns raised by different groups and to find what he called “a reasonable solution”.
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Source: Polish Radio English Section/IAR/PAP/X/@donaldtusk