Criticism from "Four Paws" on "lax" legislation for hobby breeders

Unlike commercial breeders, who require a permit, hobby breeders only need to register with the district administrative authority, without mandatory inspections. According to "Four Paws," this favors illegal puppy trade, as stated in the announcement on Wednesday.

"Four Paws" Criticizes Legal Loophole for Hobby Breeders

This means there is no information about whether these breeders are actually breeding dogs and cats as a "hobby," meaning without profit expectations. The "lax" legislation not only results in providers being able to conduct illegal business under the guise of hobby breeding, for example with purchased puppies, often from abroad, according to "Four Paws." The state also loses millions in taxes because the hobby is not taxable.

The animal welfare organization referred to a parliamentary inquiry response in December 2022 by the responsible Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care, and Consumer Protection. According to this, there were a total of 3,751 registered dog and 2,611 cat breeders in seven federal states - Vienna and Tyrol did not provide figures. Explicitly approved and thus subject to control were only 26 dog and cat breeders throughout Austria. Based on these registration numbers, as well as the average selling price of a puppy and the average litter size, "Four Paws" calculated that the revenue from the sale of purebred puppies from hobby breeding amounts to more than 61 million euros annually and from the sale of kitten puppies more than 36 million - "completely tax-free."

Animal Welfare Advocates of "Four Paws" See "Blatant Grievance"

"The possibility for sellers to operate a lucrative business in the tax-free space under the guise of a 'loving hobby breeding' is a blatant grievance that urgently needs to be eliminated," said Veronika Weissenböck, campaign manager of "Four Paws." "In addition to the animals that are 'produced' under terrible conditions in the illegal puppy trade, the state also loses important tax revenues, and this in times of a historic budget deficit. Not to mention the fraud that many buyers of sick and traumatized puppies with often forged documents fall victim to." Weissenböck also criticized that the legislation on hobby breeding has been further weakened. "Strict regulations must not only apply to breeding that requires approval," emphasized the animal welfare advocate.

(APA/Red)

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