European streets clear of stray animals despite thousands abandoned

By Zeynep Katre Oran

ANKARA (AA) — Despite thousands of animals being abandoned on the streets across Europe, the continent boasts rare sightings of stray and homeless animals wandering its boulevards.

To minimize the number of stray animals, European nations employ diverse strategies, from strict penalties, increasing shelter capacities, and improving their conditions to mandatory neutering, microchipping, and training for pet owners.

Anadolu compiled major practices and legal regulations on stray animals in Europe as the issue has long been on the headlines in Türkiye.

In Spain, where over 200,000 animals face abandonment each year, proactive measures have led to the complete absence of stray dogs on the streets. Authorized teams, often mobilized by law enforcement, collect stray animals and ensure they receive proper care, including quarantine, vaccination, and neutering.

Animal welfare legislation set to come into force on Wednesday will impose fines of up to €45,000 (about $48,000) on pet owners who abandon their animals, while also banning the euthanasia outside of health-related reasons.

France, home to around 80 million pets, has demonstrated a similar commitment to keeping its streets free of stray animals. Nearly 100,000 pets are abandoned each year, but municipal teams act swiftly to collect them.

The country mandates leash use for "potentially dangerous" dog breeds like pitbulls in public areas and strictly prohibits pet abandonment on the street, imposing penalties of three years in prison and a €45,000 fine.

Greece also introduced a population registry for pets and mandatory neutering to curb the number of stray animals.

According to a law that came into force in 2021, dealing with stray animals is in the domain of municipalities, often aided by volunteers.

Municipalities are tasked with collecting stray animals and treating any diseases they may have, and vaccinating and sterilizing them. If stray animals in municipality shelters are not adopted in three months, they are released back into the streets.

Germany, boasting over 10 million pets, has imposed a dog ownership tax and specific regulations for aggressive breeds.

Stray animals or lost pets are reported to authorities, who check for microchips and shelters for six months if no owner is found. The German Animal Welfare Act prohibits euthanization barring severe illness.

The UK has also adopted mandatory microchipping and stringent reporting requirements for stray dogs to keep the streets clear. Stray dogs are delivered to shelters or other organizations, and efforts are made to reunite them with their owners within a week.

Euthanasia is considered if no owner is found or adoption is not possible. An estimated average of 21 dogs are euthanized daily in the UK.

Poland also tasks municipalities with addressing stray animals. Captured animals undergo chip checks, and if a chip is found, they are returned to their owners.

Animals without chips are quarantined, vaccinated, neutered, and then sent to shelters. Euthanasia is only permitted in cases of severe need.

In Switzerland, owners are allowed a two-month window to claim their lost pets collected from the streets. If no owner comes forward, the animal may be adopted by someone else.

Euthanasia in shelters is reserved for extremely aggressive or sick animals, and all animal shelters are managed by private or non-governmental organizations. Penal sanctions are imposed on those who leave animals on the streets.

In Italy, captured animals undergo health and microchip checks, with efforts made to reach the owner if a chip is found. If an owner does not reclaim the animal in 60 days, it can be adopted by someone else. Euthanasia is only considered for untamable or severely ill animals.

Belgium's approach focuses on shelters, with mandatory microchip implants for dogs, cooperation with law enforcement, and punitive measures. Police first examine microchips of stray dogs they find, try to locate their owners, and then transport the dog to the nearest shelter in the area they were found.

The search for owners continues for 15 days before dogs are deemed adoptable. Neutering is not mandatory, but animal advocates push for its implementation. Euthanasia is generally only considered for medical purposes.

Electronic chips have been mandatory for dogs in Sweden since 2001. Even if owners are found, some are not returned and are instead cared for in shelters for the remainder of their lives.