Minister signs bill to make microchipping of pets compulsory
Regional Affairs and Agriculture Minister Hendrik Johannes Terras (Eesti 200) has signed a bill to make the microchipping of pet dogs and cats mandatory.
The bill, once it enters into force, will also make the microchipping of ferrets obligatory, and will create a national pet register.
The amendment aims to address the problem of pet registration being fragmented across local government databases; in some of the 79 municipalities there is no electronic record at all.
This can make locating a lost pet time-consuming, heart-rending and, if the animal spends the time before it is reunited with its owner in a shelter, costly.
Poor traceability also runs the risk of an ongoing illegal pet trade and other fraudulent activities.
Dogs, cats and ferrets are earmarked for mandatory chipping on the grounds that these are the species most commonly kept as pets in Estonia, though entry onto the national register will be voluntary, on the part of the owner, and can include all types of animals.
Terras said the nationwide pet register will provide a better overview of the actual numbers of pets, which in turn will enable the state to plan veterinary services more effectively and to prevent the spread of dangerous diseases, even potentially rabies.
"Microchipping and registering a pet reduces heartache to the owner if their pet goes missing. Thanks to a registered microchip, the owner can be identified as soon as the animal is found. This means the pet does not necessarily have to end up in a shelter but can quickly return home. It will also save the owner money, as the costs of keeping the animal in a shelter must be covered by that owner," said Kadri Kabel, adviser at the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture.
"A nationwide register will help an animal return home regardless of where in Estonia it is found. If a pet ends up in another municipality, the owner may not know to look for it there. Thanks to the national register, however, the owner can be easily identified," Kabel added.
The legislative amendments are due to enter into force together with the completion of the new national pet register in June 2027.
Microchipping involves a veterinarian inserting a passive RFID chip about the size of a grain of rice under the skin between the shoulder blades. Chips have a life span of around 25 years, longer than the usual lifespan of the subject animals.
The last reported rabies case in Estonia dates to 2011 and infected a wild animal, a raccoon dog found near the Russian border. Estonia has been officially declared rabies-free since 2013.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Johanna Alvin
