Turkey obligates pet-owners to microchip their cats, dogs, weasels

ANKARA

New legislation in Turkey will soon obligate the country’s pet owners to register their cats, dogs and weasels, and acquire identity microchips for them, a statement published in the Official Gazette on Feb. 26 read.

According to the statement, the Turkey’s Food, Agriculture and Livestock Ministry said the owners would be required to report on the status of their pets such as birth, death and owner change at the ministry’s offices.

As per the regulation, all dog owners are required to file declarations within one year starting from Jan. 1, 2021, while the registrations of cats and weasels would start Jan. 1, 2022.

The registrations will be made at the ministry’s provincial and district directorate offices.

In addition, microchips will be inserted into cats, dogs and weasels. These microchips will be inserted by vets or technicians under the supervision of vets. 

Meanwhile, pet passports will contain details about their medical treatment and records of their vaccinations.

If a pet passport is lost, stolen or destroyed, the owner has 60 days to report it. A new passport will be prepared in 15 days.

In case of owning stray dogs or cats, the owners would be required to obtain identity documents for them as well.

Under the regulation, sanctions will be imposed on pet owners who do not register their pets, notify any change in status or abandon their pets.

This regulation does not cover dogs used by the Turkish police and Turkish Armed Forces. The police and army will be keeping their animals’ information on their databases.

In April 2016, the U.K. obliged dog-owners to microchip their dogs, the government said on its website.

The British media subsequently reported that dog-owners, who have not microchipped their pets, could face fines of up to 500 British Pounds.