Government Decree on the protection of dogs, cats, and other small pets kept for companionship and hobby (No. 674 of 2010).

The present Government Decree provides for animal welfare in the keeping of dogs, cats, and other small pets kept for companionship and hobby, complementing Decree No. 396 of 1996 on Animal Welfare. Companion and hobby animals refer to dogs, cats, and other small animals kept for companionship, hobby, sale, etc., or those taken in for storage or care, or kept for any similar purpose. They also include dogs used by customs, the armed forces, or border guards, police dogs, guard dogs, herding dogs, sled dogs, guide dogs, and other assistance dogs, as well as dogs used for similar purposes and tasks.
The Decree contains 35 Articles organized in the following chapters: 1. General provisions; 2. Storage space for companion and hobby animals; 3. Care of companion and hobby animals; 4. Dogs; 5. Cats; 6. Rodents and rabbits; 7. Ferrets and polecats; 8. Caged birds; 9. Amphibians; 10. Fishes; 11. Invertebrates; 12. Special provisions.