The new Vienna Animal Welfare Act has been in force since 19 February 2019. At the centre of this amendment, which was passed in November, are a blood-alcohol limit for owners of list dogs and a general muzzle requirement for dogs on this list. These things fall under the dog handler permit, which is mandatory for list dogs and voluntary for all others. Another important point, however, is the obligatory certificate of competence for dog owners and those who want to become dog owners.
This is to promote species-appropriate dog keeping and must be completed by all new dog owners, with main residence in Vienna, who admit a dog to their family after 1 July 2019. Dog owners who have not had a dog in the last two years and are now looking for a new one must also provide this proof. If you had a dog within this time frame, you need a certificate of competence from an authority to confirm the payment of a dog fee, from the month of registration.
As part of this certificate of competence, mandatory information events are held to prepare future dog owners for the tasks that a dog entails. Legal regulations will be discussed as well as the needs of a dog. In addition the handling with the extremely high requirements, which brings the keeping in the city for the four-legged friend with itself, is discussed.
Certificate of competence?
The certificate of competence training takes at least 4 hours (depending on the lecturer, breaks are made between the topic blocks) and costs EUR 40. It consists of a purely informative training and does not include an examination.
All providers and training locations are listed on the homepage www.hunde-kunde.at. There you will find the contact details of the providers to whom you can register immediately.
A signature list must be completed in order to check the presence of the participating new dog owners, as well as a confirmation of reliability in order to rule out any previous convictions already existing in the field of animal protection (ban on keeping dogs, infringements of animal protection laws, etc.).
Why?
The certificate of competence for new dog owners is an important innovation in the field of Viennese dog keeping. It is intended to prevent ill-considered purchases and the associated problems in everyday city life (excessive demands on the owners/dogs, misjudgments).
With the certificate of competence training, awareness of the needs of our beloved dogs becomes a prerequisite for posture. This is an important step in the direction of species-appropriate and animal welfare-compliant dog keeping.
Now all you have to do is register, complete the course and understand our dogs better. The one or other AHA experience is definitely there. After the lecture there will be a stamped confirmation of participation from the provider.
