| Law and common sense |
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Travelling we come in touch with different realities. In order to avoid trouble, it is best to have a general idea of the rules governing pet ownership. Below are some suggestions, dictated by law and common sense, you should follow to make your holiday with your pet the most enjoyable possible. REGISTER YOUR DOG
The first rule the owner of a dog should be aware of, not only when he/she is on holiday, is that all dogs must be registered, as stated by general law N. 281 on pets and stray animal prevention, issued on 14th August 1991, aiming at controlling stray animals. The Agreement between the Ministry of Health, the regions, and the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano, concerning pet welfare and pet-therapy, of 6th February 2003, provided for the use of microchips, as from January 2005, as sole identification means for dogs. In this respect, the Agreement established the creation of regional computer databases, as well as the implementation of a national database at the Ministry of Health where all the regional data is collected. In case a dog is lost or found, a computer-based investigation can be carried out, in order to check if it has been found and who it belongs to. For information, click on the link below: http://nsis.sanita.it/NACC/anagcaninapublic_new/home.jsp The rules governing the use of microchips have been since amended by the Order of the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of 6th August 2008, requiring dog owners to have a microchip applied to their pets. The Order also forbids from selling dogs less than 2 months old, as well as unidentified and unregistered dogs. Home-born dogs must be identified and registered during their second month. In order to comply with the rules stated above, it is best to ask the local veterinary services or an authorized veterinary practitioner. Upon applying the microchip to the animal, the veterinarian must always provide for the registration of the animal at the computer dog register, and provide the owner with the proper registration certificate. The ID Code supplied by the microchip will be associated to the animal's details and to the details of the owner. The owner is also required to communicate the loss, death or new owner of his/her dog. There are a number of advantages provided by dog registration. Firstly, in case of loss of a person's dog, it is easier to track the animal; the public administration is informed of the kind and distribution of the dog population throughout the national territory; finally, it contributes to tackling the theft of animals, since once they are registered the animals can always be identified and can therefore not be sold again. For cats, no registration is required. For further information on dog registration, visit the website: http://www.ministerosalute.it/caniGatti/paginaMenuCani.jsp?menu=anagrafe&lingua=italiano
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