In addition to mandatory vaccinations and the like, Croatian dog owners must now absolutely microchip their four-legged pals if they want to remain on the right side of the law and avoid fines of up to 6000 kuna.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, a petition was recently launched to finally making keeping dogs (and indeed cats, although the former is more commonplace) tied up on properties by chains, ropes or leashes. Now the emphasis is being placed on Croatian dog owners and the need for microchipping.
A dog which has decided to scamper off too far following the trail of a cat or a squirrel and become lost, or indeed a dog who has been cruelly abandoned by uncaring humans can be more easily dealt with, as can their owners in the latter case, if they are properly microchipped. The animal can have its chip read at the nearest veterinary clinic, making it easier to return the dog home or indeed make a case against a negligent owner more solid.
Here in Zagreb, the Department for the Supervision of the Keeping and Treatment of Animals of the Communal Police is in charge of supervising the chipping of local dogs. The fines for non-compliance with this rule for Croatian dog owners range from 2,000 to as much as 6,000 kuna, and for legal entities those figures climb much higher, ranging from between 10,000 to a massive 30,000 kuna.
¨It is reasonable to expect that by increasing the number of microchipped dogs, less of them will end up abandoned, so this is a useful measure. By avoiding this, the consequences and costs of irresponsible dog ownership are borne by the community. Every veterinarian knows that after receiving a dog that was found somewhere, they must first check the identity of the animal before beginning any sort of procedure,¨ Lea Kreszinger, president of the Department of Veterinary Practice in Croatia, pointed out for Vecernji list.
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