New EU rules: hunting dogs also receive protection

For the first time in history, European legislation will protect the welfare of cats and dogs. Hunting dogs will also receive protection. Over the past two years, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union have discussed the proposal from the European Commission, published in December 2023. After negotiations, the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the EU reached an agreement on the legislation at the end of November 2025. It is a historic step for animal welfare in Europe. We thank and congratulate all organizations that have worked so hard on this over the past years, in particular Eurogroup for Animals (of which CAS International is also a member) and Four Paws.

New EU rules: hunting dogs also receive protection | Foto: Pixabay

The legislation ensures that many dogs and cats receive better protection. Hunting dogs are largely included under the rules. Fortunately, they are not completely excluded from the legislation, as some political parties in the European Parliament had previously wanted. However, certain exceptions do apply to them in some areas. Below, we share the main points of the new rules, which also apply to hunting dogs. For more information regarding other dogs and cats, we refer to the Eurogroup for Animals announcement.

• Identification and registration (I&R): All dogs and cats in the EU must be microchipped and registered.
• Animal welfare at breeders: Breeders and sellers (including those without financial transactions) of dogs and cats must comply with European welfare standards.
• Stricter rules against abuse: Breeders and sellers of dogs and cats may not abuse, abandon, or expose their animals to any form of cruelty.

All rules for breeders and sellers will also apply to shelters and foster homes.

A hunting dog and her puppy in a kennel in Spain | Picture: Aitor Garmendia / AnimaNaturalis / CAS International

Mandatory identification and registration

Mandatory identification and registration is essential for hunting dogs in Spain, as they are often not registered and rarely microchipped. After the hunting season, they are frequently abandoned or killed by hunters. Mandatory registration makes it possible to hold hunters accountable for animals that go missing without a valid reason and makes it harder to abandon them without consequences.

Welfare standards

Breeders must comply with European welfare standards. This is important because hunting dogs are often bred under poor conditions, with little oversight of their health or welfare. Clear rules and minimum standards for care, housing, and animal health will bring change.

Many hunting dogs live in appalling conditions | Picture: Aitor Garmendia / CAS International / AnimaNaturalis

Animal abuse
Finally, breeders and sellers are prohibited from abandoning, mistreating, or otherwise exposing animals to cruelty. In countries such as Spain, tens of thousands of hunting dogs are abandoned or killed in horrific ways each year. Although Spanish legislation already prohibits animal abuse (including for hunting dogs), European legislation can provide additional support in taking action when hunting dogs are mistreated.

Concerns regarding hunting dogs
Although many hunting dogs fall under the new European regulation, we remain concerned about a large group of hunting dogs for whom no European welfare rules will apply.

• The proposal (excluding identification and registration rules) does not apply to owners who do not breed or place animals on the market. Hunters who only keep and/or breed dogs without transferring them to other persons fall outside the welfare rules.
• Small breeders only have to comply with very minimal welfare standards.
• Different minimum space requirements may apply to hunting dogs, meaning they can still be kept densely with many animals.
• When (hunting) dogs suffer a serious accident in the field and cannot be taken to a veterinarian in time, they may be killed by a trained and “competent” person, provided it is done as quickly and painlessly as possible. This means that a hunter is still allowed to kill his dog. It is unclear how the reasons and methods are monitored.

For real protection of Spanish hunting dogs, Spanish legislation still needs to provide them with stricter safeguards than currently exist. European I&R rules can contribute to better enforcement of existing Spanish rules (prohibiting abuse and abandonment). We will do everything possible to make this happen.

Podenco | © CAS International/AnimaNaturalis

Do you want to know more about hunting with dogs in Spain? Then watch the documentary  Yo Galgo of Yeray López and Broken Spirit: The Galgo’s Last Run of House of Animals. 

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