Law 4830/2021. New framework for the welfare of companion animals - "ARGOS" Programme and other provisions.

This Law, consisting of 72 articles, divided into five parts, provides for: protecting companion animals and ensuring their welfare, promoting responsible pet ownership, establishing a clear and coherent regulatory framework for the management of stray companion animals and a strategy for drastically reducing their number through adoption programmes, with strict adherence to animal welfare rules. The Law defines the following relevant terms: animal, as any living organism that is sentient and moves on land, air and sea or any other aquatic ecosystem or wetland; animal welfare rules and principles: freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from unnecessary hardship and stress, freedom from pain, injury and disease with appropriate veterinary medicines and care, freedom from fear and anxiety, freedom to express normal behaviour; companion animal; dominated companion animal; stray companion animal; professional and amateur pet breeder; small companion animal; assistance and working dog; therapy animal; dangerous animals; serious disease, as any contagious or non-contagious disease of immediate and high risk to human or animal health; pathogenic agent; source of risk; risk, as the probability of occurrence and the likely magnitude of the biological and economic consequences of an adverse effect on animal health or public health; pet shelter; adoption of stray animal; identification document; national pet register; register of offenders for persons violating the provisions relating to the abandonment and abuse of animals; circus; non-commercial movement of animals outside Greece.
The Law concerns the following matters: establishment of competent authorities for the establishment and monitoring of the implementation of rules relating to animal health, veterinary public health and animal welfare, monitoring of zoonoses and zoonotic agents, for the care, collection and management of stray companion animals, for the supervision of the implementation of the operational programmes for the collection and management of stray companion animals, for implementing the marking and registration of companion animals and their owners in the proper registers, for monitoring the implementation of veterinary legislation on companion animals, for control and certification of violations concerning animal welfare; establishment of national animal registry and identification of companion animals; creation of a national platform for the adoption of stray animals; breeding, reproduction and trading in companion animals; obligations of a pet owner, including neutering the animal in case of a dog or a cat, ensuring the necessary veterinary care, examination and annual compulsory vaccination, not cutting the ears or tail of the animal except for medical reasons; obligations of owners of hunting dog, including possession of a hunting licence for dogs; responsibilities and obligations of municipalities, including implementation of the stray animal management programme, sterilisation of stray companion animals; special financial programme for improving animal welfare measures; incentives for marking, neutering and adopting dogs and cats; establishment of a storage laboratory and animal genetic material analysis fellowship at the biomedical research foundation; obtaining genetic material from companion animals; rules for ensuring proper storage and transportation of companion animals; participation of animals in exhibition, shows and related activities; prohibited activities, particularly those where the welfare of animals is not ensured; animal abuse and reporting animal abuse incidents; preparation and implementation of programmes for prevention and control of zoonoses; establishment of pet shelters; education, training, animal protection and promotion of lifestyle; training of animals for security forces; burial and cremation of dead animals; administrative and criminal offences; certification of dog trainers.