Press release 25.03.2022

Press release 25.03.2022

The Romanian Kennel Club has been and is permanently preoccupied for the dog`s welfare in Romania and the prevention of bad treatment and cruelty towards these.

The present legislation in Romania, respectively the European Convention for Animal Protection and Law no. 205/2004 regarding animal protection, stipulate that there are forbidden and considered as acts of cruelty and infringements tail cutting and ear cropping for the purpose of changing the aspect of an animal or other purposes that are not FOR treatment.

So, for over 18 years, dog breeders in Romania have the obligation to ensure that their dog`s ear and tail cropping are done only for treatment purposes and only by veterinarians who will certify the surgical treatment purposes in the dog`s health certificate.

On the other hand, considering dog`s welfare in Romania and prevention of bad treatment and cruelty, the Romanian Kennel Club has adapted even from the start its regulation for canine competitions to enforced legislation, dogs with cropped tail and ears being still accepted in the canine competitions organized under the F.C.I./R.K.C. “as according to enforced legislation” meaning for treatment purposes.

With all these seeing that:

• There have been mishaps and wrong interpretation of laws and regulations above mentioned;
• Citizens and animal protection associations have emphasized the existence of these mishaps and wrong interpretations;
• The newly established animal protection police has started a series of actions in the whole country for identifying the owners/holders of dogs with tail and ear cropped for non-treatment purposes and for opening penal inquiries for the cases of breaching enforced legislation, the R.K.C. board of directors has decided, in its meeting dated 23.03.2022, the clarifying of the regulations viewing canine competitions in what concerns entering, access, participation and judging of dogs with cropped ears and tails within the canine competitions under F.C.I./R.K.C.

In this sense, it was expressly foreseen:

-           it is forbidden to forward the entry form, to enter the competition space, to participate and judge dogs that have cropped tails and ears for purposes other than for treatment;

-           there have been taken technical and organizational measures which the organizers of competitions must take for assuring the conformity of regulation provisions;

-           sanctions have been implemented for those guilty for those breaching the regulation provisions.

We hope that in this way the breeders part of the R.K.C. associations/clubs will better understand and easier respect the Romanian legislation in the field of animal protection, including in what concerns surgical operations for the purpose of modifying the aspect of their dogs or other non-treatment purposes.

R.K.C. Board of Directors