“We propose that dogs should not be permanently tied, and tying is only permissible in cases where, for example, an enclosure is being cleaned, a room is being tidied, and it is desired that the animal does not escape,” Kristina Ulienė, head of the VMVT Animal Welfare Department, told the M1 Radio Station Information Service.
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She noted that currently, animal breeders are prohibited from keeping dogs permanently tied, while for individuals, this is not mandatory.
According to the specialist, the European Parliament’s regulation on the welfare of dogs and cats emphasizes that long-term tethering poses significant animal welfare problems, restricts their natural behavior, and can cause both physical and psychological disorders.
“Since pets are social animals, we want to move towards a Western approach where this prohibition is applied,” said K. Ulienė.
The VMVT appealed to the Ministry of Environment to establish a requirement in the Animal Welfare and Protection Law that a dog, wherever it may be, cannot be kept permanently tied.
According to K. Ulienė, it is also proposed to stipulate in the law how long a pet can be left alone, unsupervised.
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“Our officers encounter cases during inspections where they find dogs living alone near homesteads. It is determined that the owner visits only every few days. Various cases occur where both water and food are left, and there is shelter, but leaving them for several days causes us concern. After all, a pet is almost equated to a family member, so we propose to legalize precisely that (limiting the time of abandonment – BNS),” said the specialist.
According to her, VMVT specialists, together with scientists from the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, have prepared guidelines for assessing cruel treatment of animals. These state that a pet should not be left unsupervised for longer than one day.
This is not the first proposal to prohibit keeping dogs permanently tied in Lithuania.
BNS reported that the Seimas did not approve such an initiative in April 2024. At that time, a group of parliamentarians proposed allowing dogs to be tied for no longer than two hours, when taking them for a walk, during equipment or premises cleaning, and in other cases.
In some European countries, keeping animals tied is prohibited or only temporarily allowed.
