Regulations are tightening: when and why you should register your pets.

What is the Unified State Register of Animals and why is it needed

Many citizens of Ukraine have pets, and given the current legislation, this creates rights and responsibilities for the owners. Therefore, as noted by the authorities, the Unified State Register of Pets will serve as a source of information on the Diia.Engine platform, where data on cats, dogs, and other pets will be provided, specifically:

• the name and description of the animals;
• vaccination and biosterilization of the pet;
• contact information of the owners or keepers;
• other necessary data.

The Unified State Register of Pets will serve as a source of information on the Diia.Engine platform, where data on cats, dogs, and other pets will be provided.

On their part, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and the State Consumer Service will gather and analyze current data on the number of pets, their health status, and vaccinations. They also note that in the future, the register will be integrated into international databases.

What data about the animal will be included in the register and what benefits will owners gain

Lawyer Stanislav Liflyanchik explained this in detail, noting that attempts to create such a database for animals have been made multiple times.

"Several times in modern Ukraine, local initiatives were launched, various passports were accepted, and owners were required to obtain all sorts of certificates. None of this took root, as it always became unnecessary paperwork for the owner, a waste of time, and financial costs due to corruption. Therefore, it was easier to just get a puppy, kitten, or cow and not register anything. However, this could lead to a number of very unpleasant consequences. For example, if an animal was stolen or went missing, it was impossible to find and prove that it belonged to a specific owner. That’s why the state, represented by the State Consumer Service and the Ministry of Digital Transformation, approached this issue considering the experience of registering other property rights, like real estate or vehicles,” the lawyer explained.

The register will allow owners to restore lost documents and information about the registered animal and will facilitate its search in case the pet goes missing.

Indeed, the register will enable owners to restore lost documents and information about the registered animal and simplify its search if the pet goes missing. After the introduction of the veterinary passport in the "Diia" app, pet owners will be able to travel more easily across the country with their animals. Furthermore, this may foster a culture of responsible pet ownership in Ukraine, where owners properly care for their pets. In the future, this will help to more effectively prevent the spread of dangerous diseases.

It is important to note that the State Enterprise "Agency for Identification and Registration of Animals" operates in Ukraine, established in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine dated 29.07.2002. The Agency accumulates data about the owner or keeper of the animal; information about the farm where the animal was identified and so on. Animal identification, which is implemented at the state level, is one of the main methods used worldwide to track the origin of livestock products from their production throughout the animal's life until they reach the consumer's table. However, the activities of the Agency should not be confused with the launch of the Register of Pets.

Why does the government need a pet register

According to the lawyer, the animal register becomes a tool through which the government can monitor and control the number of pets owned by citizens, their health status, vaccinations, breeds, species, and more. The government will also be able to identify who actually owns farms that engage in entrepreneurial activities without paying taxes. Thus, the electronic animal register is about safety and control.

Thanks to the state register, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and the State Consumer Service will gather and analyze data on the number of pets, their health conditions, and vaccinations.

For the first time in the history of independence, the state will obtain real data on the number of pets and will be able to monitor their vaccination status. This information is extremely relevant for effectively reducing the risk of spreading dangerous infections, such as rabies.

Currently, there is no information about the responsibility of owners for inaccurate data submitted to the register or for failing to provide data about the animal in the register, nor is there information on whether the introduction of the register and entry of animals into the register will serve as a basis for further taxation of their owners.

All this data will be classified as restricted access and can only be obtained by the owners themselves or by government authorities authorized to do so by law.

Veterinarian and head of the "Vetprostyir" clinic, former head of the Western Ukrainian Society for the Protection of Animals, Andriy Kurach, called the identification of pets a positive step that identifies their owners or guardians and determines who is responsible for their welfare: for the conditions of keeping, health status, vaccination, and so on.

"Animal identification in Ukraine has been carried out for years through relevant programs by progressive local governments and with the support of animal protection organizations. The creation of the Unified State Register of Pets standardizes the opportunities and requirements for this process throughout Ukraine, making the government an active participant. At the current stage, the voluntary nature of entering data into the state register is declared. The conditions for entering pets into the unified state register create additional convenience for veterinarians and pet owners. Private veterinary institutions participating in the project will receive the opportunity from the State Consumer Service to issue state-standard veterinary passports for animals. Previously, this could only be done by state veterinarians," says Andriy Kurach.

How will the register work and when will it be fully launched

Registration will occur in a declarative manner, through the submission of documents by the owner or keeper of the animals, either in paper form through veterinary clinics, CNAP, or electronically directly in the register, which is quite convenient.

The head of the veterinary institution must fill out an application in the register's office.

"Initially, veterinary clinics and doctors can authorize themselves by submitting an application to the State Consumer Service. For this, the head of the veterinary institution must fill out an application in the register's office. This process should not be complicated; as the creators of the Register assure us, it takes no more than 30 minutes. The State Consumer Service has 10 working days to verify the application and either approve or reject it and send a notification about the result to the applicant's email," added medical lawyer and former Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine in 2014-2015, Natalia Lisnevskaya.

After successful authorization, which occurs only through the government interface, the veterinary institution is ready to begin registering pets. This should mark the official start of the second phase of the launch—an animal registration campaign.

The register has been partially launched. The first phase has started, in which veterinary clinics and doctors will be engaged with the platform. Currently, the heads and staff of veterinary clinics are undergoing training courses on maintaining the registers.

Will digitalization affect the cost of veterinary clinic services

As veterinarian Andriy Kurach notes, for veterinarians, identifying animals through digital resources is already part of their practice and tariffs, so the pricing policy for services will not change for pet owners. This registration is done once in the animal's life, so it does not relate to the volume of services provided by the clinic.

At the same time, lawyers suggest that the exact impact of digitalization on the cost of services in veterinary offices will depend on specific market conditions and the costs of implementing new technologies.

"It is possible that the cost of services may increase due to the necessity of introducing additional technological means, but it is also possible that this will enhance the efficiency and quality of services," adds Konstantin Sklyar.