From the summer of 2027, Poland will prohibit keeping dogs and cats chained on private property.
President Karol Nawrocki approved legislation outlawing the practice after a lengthy political dispute.
Under the newly signed law, pet owners will no longer be allowed to keep dogs or cats permanently tethered. Animals must instead live indoors, in a securely enclosed garden or in a kennel spacious enough to allow them to move freely and behave naturally.
Dogs housed in kennels will also have to receive daily exercise outside their enclosure — although how this can be verified appears unclear.
The legislation does not ban leashes entirely. Dogs and cats may still be restrained in specific circumstances, including during walks, transportation, veterinary or grooming appointments, training sessions, competitions or exhibitions, or when they pose a risk to people or other animals.
Anyone found breaching the rules could face fines ranging from 1,000 to 100,000 zloty (€232-€23,166). In cases involving particularly severe abuse, offenders may also receive prison sentences of up to five years, according to the Forsal news outlet.
Last year, Nawrocki rejected an earlier version of the bill because, while supporting stronger animal welfare protections, he argued that its mandatory minimum kennel size requirements were impractical and placed an excessive burden on owners.
After lawmakers failed to secure enough votes to override the presidential veto, they prepared a revised version of the legislation. Following consultations with the president’s office and animal welfare organizations, a compromise bill was passed by parliament earlier this month.
The revised legislation was backed by Poland’s governing coalition, which spans parties from the left to the centre-right, as well as most lawmakers from the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party. The far-right Confederation (Konfederacja) and Confederation of the Polish Crown (KKP) opposed the measure.
Speaking after signing the bill, Nawrocki said the updated law had received favorable feedback, including from Poland’s agricultural chamber, and argued that his veto had helped produce a stronger piece of legislation.
Although the president maintained that the revised law avoids imposing inflexible and expensive kennel standards, his office noted that the agriculture minister will still be responsible for introducing regulations setting minimum kennel sizes based on the size of the dog.
It remains uncertain how those future requirements will differ from the provisions Nawrocki previously rejected.
The presidential office also pointed out that the law already specifies certain construction standards for kennels. They must be built from wood or similar insulated materials, raised off the ground, and designed with openings on at least two sides to provide sufficient light and ventilation.
