A change concerning all cat and dog owners: Published in the Official Gazette

The change made to the regulation regarding the identification of cats, dogs, and ferrets has been published in the Official Gazette. In the regulation, the term "shelter" has been replaced with "animal care home." This change was made in accordance with the animal rights law, which mandates that "shelters" be renamed as "animal care homes" by local governments. 

According to the change in the regulation, local governments; individuals or legal entities, and private animal living homes will be authorized, tasked, and responsible for ensuring that cats and dogs adopted from animal care homes are registered in the Ministry's recording system and that their pet passports are created by a responsible veterinarian. 

Private animal living homes will be responsible for reporting the death or loss of pets they have adopted from animal care homes to the provincial/district directorate within the specified timeframe.

Accordingly, all cat and dog owners will be required to identify and register their animals of all ages by December 31, 2025, at the latest. Before this change, the microchipping process had ended in 2022.

The owner of a private animal living home will be responsible for all negative outcomes and errors arising from their failure to fulfill the obligations set forth in this regulation, or due to incomplete or incorrect declarations they have provided. 

Private animal living home owners are responsible for all kinds of care and feeding of the pets, and they will not be able to abandon the pets, transfer ownership, or house more pets in the private animal living home than the capacity permitted by the Ministry.

The microchip will be applied subcutaneously between the two scapulae or on the left side of the neck near the ear; for breeds with a genetic predisposition to spinal diseases, it will also be applied subcutaneously in the right hind leg, left hind leg, or sternum region. 

In the event that stray animals are given by animal care homes to individuals or legal entities and private animal living homes, a stray animal acquisition form will be prepared for these animals, and a new passport will be issued and recorded in the database by the authorized veterinarian working for the local government within ten days at the latest from the date of adoption.

When necessary, the Ministry may request additional information and documents from the pet owner. 

In the event of the death of registered pets, the pet owner must notify the provincial/district directorate or the institutions/organizations, individuals, or legal entities authorized by the Ministry within 30 days, and within 7 days in the event of loss.

The status of the pet will be entered into the database by the authorized veterinarian or by the veterinary health technician/veterinary health technologist working at the provincial/district directorate. 

All cat and dog owners will be required to apply to the provincial/district directorate or to the institutions/organizations, individuals, or legal entities authorized by the Ministry with a declaration to identify and register their animals of all ages by December 31, 2025, at the latest. 

News Source: 12punto