The Saeima has yet to approve changes to the law in the third, final reading. The law is expected to come into force on July 1, 2024.
It is planned to prohibit dogs born after August 31, 2023 “from keeping tied up, except in cases referred to in regulatory enactments regulating the field of animal welfare and protection of the house (room).”
Representative of the responsible committee Jānis Grasbergs (National Alliance) explained that this does not mean that the dog will not be able to be tied for a moment, for example, while the owner enters the store or welcomes guests, but will not be allowed to keep dogs tied “in the sense that it spends its entire life on the chain.”
“This is a signal to the public that if we want to keep dogs contained, we need to build an enclosure, but we no longer keep dogs on a chain in Latvia,” Grasbergs said.
Cases where dogs may be tied will be determined by government regulations.
