Owners must ensure the welfare of pet animals

For all animals Animal Protection Law states that “the ethical obligation of mankind is to ensure the welfare and protection of all animal species, as each specimen is a value in itself. A man has a moral obligation to respect any creature, treat animals with a sensitive understanding and protect them. No one is allowed to kill an animal without a reasonable reason, cause it pain, cause suffering or otherwise harm it. ' 

Main CABINET regulations governing animal welfare are CABINET Regulation No. 266 “Welfare requirements for the holding, marketing and demonstration of home (room) animals in public exhibitions, as well as for dog training”.

Before buying/adopting a pet, we always call on people to assess their opportunities, both financial, social and emotional, to take a family member who will live as a minimum with a farmer around 10 to 15 years. Dogs and cats are home lovers, companions, they give a lot of joy to their master. But every person must understand that the animal also requires a financial contribution. The animal must be vaccinated, chopped, sterilised/cadastrised, the animal may be affected. The dog owners have to invest a lot of time in the teacher. Therefore, before taking care of a pet, everyone should consider their options and how the purchase of a dog or cat can change the normal rhythm of life.

Never buy in the haste of domestic animals, other people, media or social networks, or press the impression before everything has been carefully considered and evaluated. The animal must not be a gift without prior agreement with the prospective master.

Requirements for keeping a dog

If the dog is kept in premises, the owner or keeper of the animal shall ensure:

1. complete feeding of dogs not less than once a day;
2. the dog is always free of fresh water;
3. for dogs over three months of age, at least 30 minutes of walking at least twice a day.

If the dog is kept permanently outdoors, the owner or keeper of the animal shall provide the dog with:

1. complete catering at least once a day;
2. always freely available fresh water;
3. at least 30 minutes of walking at least once a day;
4. a hut or accommodation suitable for the height of the dog (which exceeds the size of the dog in length, height and width by not less than 30 centimetres), where it is in adverse weather conditions and where there are litter or other warm floor coverings;
5. the purity in the hut or place of the dog and the area where the dog is staying;
6. the following accessories: at least two centimetres of skin neck strap or other accessories attached to the dog's body, which do not cause injuries to the dog, nor allow the dog to dispose of it arbitrarily; a chain or tray of at least three metres; a chain or spring connection with a neck strap using a rotating element. If the chain is slipping through the wire, the rotating elements are at the neck strap and at the wire.

I would like to add that the main problem in the countryside is: keeping the dog out on a very short chain, the cabins are inappropriate for the animal's needs (the cabin is very small, with holes, cold, without litter in winter). No fresh water is available for dogs, no proper feed, no one with them. The small and smooth-haired dogs are also kept in the chains, even though THE BOM does not allow it. And they'll chains the puppies.

If the dog is kept in a demarcated area outside the premises, the same holding requirements shall be provided, as a dog held outside the premises (except for accessories).

The dog is permitted to be kept permanently, if the genotype (the body of the organism's congenital factors) or phenotype (the body of the body's external and internal features) may be expected to be suitable for keeping in an outdoor environment without endangering the health and well-being of the dog. Dogs up to 10 months of age should not be kept tied.

Requirements for Keeping Cats

A cat over six months of age is free to reside outside the territory of the owner or the holder of the holder if the cat is sterilised.

The cat shall be provided with:

1. always freely available fresh water;
2. full feed.

If cats are kept in a closed room, they shall be provided with:

1. cat's toilet;
2. contact with the person at least once every two days;
3. a residence area of not less than five square metres if the cat is older than six months.

Why is animal sterilisation/castration required?

First - for cats

A small, sweet and poisonous animal who reaches sexual maturity may be responsible for 20,000 offspring over five years. A great number, but it has been scientifically proven. What happens to them: part of them is simply destroyed immediately after birth, the part dies as a result of infectious diseases or is suffering from accidents involving road transport, the part becomes a tramp and only a small percentage finds another owner.

What do you do, as owners, with the sterilization of your cat?

When the animal is sterilised, the fact that they become more calm, they do not have the tendency to fight, hence the trauma and the infectious diseases caused by the virus, are more friendly, the runners lose the specific urine smell, extend his life, he does not live in stress conditions, etc.

The peculiar is the opinion that has come from a number of landlords, the animal's need for once to have a child. Some owners explain this with the development of maternal feelings for an animal, others have obtained such information from acquaintance or experience in the exchange of animals. Adult and breeding females can take up to three times a year. If you calculate, the pregnancy takes her six months a year, the breast-feeding period for each litter is 30 – 45 days, and she is accompanied by “flirting” for the rest of the time. Can anyone explain these figures in relation to the formation of maternal feelings? THAT FACT IS WRONG!

And now on dogs!

Similarly, the need for the sterilisation of dogs may be determined by similar relationships. It is not true that the dog will become a bad guard after sterilisation or suffer from obesity. The words “bad keeper” are also the words “bad master”, as it is not a problem of sterilisation, but a problem of education and attitudes. If you, with the words “good watchman”, think of an angry and aggressive animal, then the first one to suffer will be your family, because an angry animal conducts his instincts and is an attack, during which he does not analyze the person in front of him.
Obesity is observed in almost all breed dogs and the weight of your lover is determined by the quantity and caloricity of the eaten food, not whether the ovaries and testicles function.

It is very important that animal owners understand the necessity of this operation, because the problems that can be followed in later years are serious, even very serious, which may result in you losing your home lover much faster than you would have “determined”. For example, bitches to age are almost always ovarian and uterine problems: piometer, false gestation, varying ovarian dysfunction, mammary tumours. All these problems are to be eliminated only in an operational way by castrating (sterilizing) the dog. In many studies, it has been confirmed that bitches, which have been sterilised until the first time of search, are never affected by tumours of milk glands.

Would n't it be much better if you don't have to worry about whether your home lovers will survive the drug and get out after a severe inflammation? At age, it is much harder for animals to survive, and there is a great chance that the darling will not wake up from the drug, and that is why it is recommended that these types of surgery be performed much earlier without waiting for disease and behavioural problems.

What is the recommended sterilization time?

The best home is to be sterilised as long as it is young and healthy, but when it reaches the age of maturity. In cats it is approximately 6 – 8 months of age, dogs - depending on the variety (dogs of some breeds grow up to 15 months of age). However, we always recommend that you consult the veterinarian you trust and tell your pet species and the recommended sterilization time for the variety.

Chucking and registration

The procedures for registration of the house (room) shall be determined by: Cabinet regulation No. 491

General conditions for registration:

Home (room) animal - dog must be with implanted chip. The microchip is carried out by a veterinarian. Registration of cats and domestic (room) ferrets is optional.

The chipography is necessary for identification of animals - similar to those of people with whom the identity of the person concerned can be demonstrated. This is necessary where it is necessary to demonstrate whether the animal has been vaccinated, in particular against rabies virus, as it is a compulsory national vaccination to be carried out by all pet animals - dogs, cats and ferrets. If the animal runs away, he is stolen, etc. by checking the chip (for example, police, shelters, vettists) can identify the dog's master and be able to contact him operationally.

It should be recalled that if the animal is microchipeted, it must also be registered in the Latvian Agricultural Data Centre (https://www.ldc.gov.lv/lv) so that it is possible to communicate with the owner of the pet animal if necessary. Registration of a pet animal in the single national register is a charge service - one-off fee 7.00 euro. The payment shall be made at the expense of THE LDC.

The dog must be registered:

1. Before disposal (sale, return, etc.);
2. If temporarily exported from the country;
3. Reaching the age of four months;
4. If they participate in the exhibitions.

Vaccination

Vaccination against rabies is compulsory. The owners must ensure the vaccination of their beloved, but later booster vaccination. It is a national mandatory requirement - the exception not to vaccinate animals. If the animal has not been vaccinated against rabies virus and, for example, is conjured to another animal or even a person, the owner of the animal concerned may be punished. The State Police, Food and Veterinary Service shall be informed regarding such cases, which shall be examined below. In the past, re-vaccination against rabies had to be carried out every year, but at this time everything depends on the manufacturer - once a year, once in two or even three years. Only provided that the date of revaccination is not overdue.

Of course, some things need to be taken into account before they can be vaccinated. Above all, the animal must be healthy. Prior to vaccination, the veterinarian shall carry out a clinical investigation and, if it is recognised that the animal is clinically healthy, will also carry out vaccination. It is also important to treat endoparasites or deworsening before vaccination. In turn, the first vaccination is usually carried out at the age of eight weeks, while revaccination is at the age of 12 weeks. At the age of eight weeks, vaccinated against the most frequent communicable diseases of the species concerned, but at the age of 12 weeks, re-vaccination of these diseases as well as vaccination against rabies shall be carried out. Inhibition of vaccination and revaccination is not recommended as this increases the risk of disease.

Diseases against which vaccinated Pets is infectious hepatitis, parvovirus, leptospirosis, dog fever virus and Respiratory disease dogs. Calici virus, herpes virus and panleucopenia in cats, while domestic ferrets are vaccinated against dogs fever virus but rabbits - mysomatosis and haemorrhagic disease.

Animal Rights Association B. @T.
Photo: Diana Selecka