Republic of Latvia

Cabinet
Regulation No. 359
Adopted 21 June 2022

Procedures for the Registration of Pet Animals

Issued pursuant to Section 25, Clause 6
of the Veterinary Medicine Law

I. General Provisions

1. The Regulation prescribes:

1.1. the procedures by which a pet animal - dog, cat, and ferret - shall be marked, registered, and excluded from the register;

1.2. the amount of the fee to be collected for the registration of a pet animal, and also the procedures for the payment thereof.

2. The Agricultural Data Centre (hereinafter - the Data Centre) shall register in the database of the Register of Pet Animals (hereinafter - the database) a pet animal marked with a read-only passive radio frequency identification device (hereinafter - the microchip) within the meaning of Article 3(e) of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013 on the non-commercial movement of pet animals and repealing Regulation (EC) No 998/2003 and in accordance with the requirements laid down in Article 17 thereof and Annex II thereto.

3. The database is a part of the unified State information system Agricultural Data Centre Information System. In the database:

3.1. a dog marked with the microchip shall be registered;

3.2. a cat and ferret marked with the microchip may be registered.

4. The Data Centre shall ensure authorised access to the database in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding the procedures for the use of information in the database of registered animals.

5. A dog placed in an animal shelter which is not marked with the microchip and registered in the database shall be marked with the microchip and registered in conformity with the laws and regulations regarding animal welfare requirements in animal shelters and animal hotels, the procedures by which the animal shall be transferred to an animal shelter or animal hotel, and also the procedures for the registration of animal shelters and animal hotels.

II. Marking and Registration of a Pet Animal

6. A practising veterinarian shall:

6.1. mark a pet animal with the microchip, implanting it on the left side of the neck or shoulder area;

6.2. prepare and issue a pet animal passport;

6.3. register the pet animal in the database without delay, but not later than within 72 hours after marking of the pet animal, indicating the information referred to in Paragraph 8 of this Regulation.

7. In order to register a pet animal in the database, the owner thereof or the authorised person thereof shall provide the information referred to in Paragraph 8 of this Regulation to a practising veterinarian and shall present:

7.1. a personal identification document;

7.2. an appropriate authorisation if the animal is being registered by a person authorised by a legal person or the owner of the pet animal;

7.3. the passport or vaccination certificate of the pet animal.

8. A practising veterinarian shall register in the database:

8.1. information on the pet animal:

8.1.1. the species, date of birth or age, sex, name;

8.1.2. a description of the animal (breed, colour, special characteristics);

8.1.3. the address of the holding location;

8.1.4. the identity number indicated in the microchip implanted in the animal, the location of the microchip, and the date of introduction or reading of the microchip;

8.1.5. a tattoo (if any);

8.1.6. the number of the pet animal passport, the date of issue, the given name (names) and surname of the veterinarian who issued the passport and the number of the veterinary medical practice certificate;

8.1.7. the existence of a vaccination certificate (if the animal has one);

8.1.8. the country and the date of importation if the animal has been imported from another country;

8.2. information on the owner of the animal according to the information indicated in the pet animal passport. If the pet animal has two or more owners (co-owners), information on only one of them shall be included after mutual agreement between the co-owners, indicating:

8.2.1. the given name (names), surname, and personal identity number of a natural person (if a personal identity number has been assigned to the person, the nationality, the number and date of issue of a valid personal identification document shall be indicated) or the name and registration number of a legal person;

8.2.2. the telephone number, electronic mail address, or official electronic address, if such has been created for the person;

8.3. information on the keeper of the animal, indicating:

8.3.1. the given name (names), surname, and personal identity number of a natural person (if a personal identity number has been assigned to the person, the nationality, the number and date of issue of a valid personal identification document shall be indicated) or the name and registration number of a legal person;

8.3.2. the telephone number, electronic mail address, or official electronic address, if such has been created for the person;

8.3.3. the term of holding, if known;

8.4. additional contact information upon request of the owner of the animal, for example, the telephone number, electronic mail address.

9. If a practising veterinarian determines that a dog is marked with the microchip and it has a pet animal passport or vaccination certificate, but it is not registered in the database, the practising veterinarian shall compare the number of the microchip implanted in the animal with the number entered in the pet animal passport or vaccination certificate and register the dog in the database in accordance with Paragraph 8 of this Regulation.

10. If a practising veterinarian determines that a dog is marked with the microchip, but is not registered in the database and it does not have a pet animal passport or vaccination certificate, he or she shall prepare and issue a pet animal passport and register the dog in the database in accordance with Paragraph 8 of this Regulation.

11. If it is determined that the database contains false or misleading information on a pet animal or the owner thereof, the necessary amendments shall be made or information shall be deleted in the following way:

11.1. the owner of the pet animal may, by logging in the database, correct the information indicated in Sub-paragraph 8.2.2 of this Regulation;

11.2. a practising veterinarian, by logging in the database, shall delete the erroneous information and make other necessary amendments, indicating the reason thereof;

11.3. the owner of the pet animal, the authorised person thereof, or a practising veterinarian shall submit a submission to the Data Centre for the correction or deletion of information.

12. The owner of the pet animal has an obligation to update the telephone number and electronic mail address indicated in the database in one of the ways referred to in Paragraph 11 of this Regulation.

III. Amount of the Fee to be Collected for the Registration of the Pet Animal and the Procedures for the Payment Thereof

13. The veterinary medical practice institution shall enter into a contract with the Data Centre for the registration of a pet animal in the database and for the collection of a fee from the owner of the pet animal or the authorised person thereof for the registration of the pet animal in the database and the settlement of accounts with the Data Centre.

14. The owner of the pet animal or the authorised person thereof shall pay the veterinary medical practice institution:

14.1. the fee for the registration of a pet animal in the database in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding the price list of the public fee services of the Agricultural Data Centre;

14.2. the fee for the service provided by the practising veterinarian for ensuring the registration of the pet animal - EUR 5.50.

15. An animal shelter shall settle accounts for the registration of the pet animal referred to in Paragraph 5 of this Regulation in the database with the practising veterinarian according to the mutually concluded contract.

IV. Exclusion of a Pet Animal from the Register and Making Changes in the Database

16. The following changes in the information on a registered pet animal (hereinafter - the event with an animal) shall be registered in the database:

16.1. the change of the owner of the animal when the animal is alienated;

16.2. the change of the keeper of the animal;

16.3. the change of the holding location;

16.4. the disappearance or finding of the animal;

16.5. vaccination against rabies, indicating the date of vaccination and the date of the next vaccination;

16.6. the date of sterilisation (for female and male animals), after chemical sterilisation - also the term of validity;

16.7. the issuing of a new pet animal passport, stating the reasons, for example, the previous passport has been permanently damaged, lost, stolen, or revoked, there is no room for new entries in one of the sections of the previous passport;

16.8. the death of the animal (the animal has died);

16.9. the euthanasia of the animal.

17. The event with an animal referred to in Sub-paragraph 16.1 of this Regulation shall be registered in one of the following ways:

17.1. in person at a practising veterinarian, the local government, the Data Centre, or in the unified State and local government customer service centre:

17.1.1. in the presence of the owner of the animal or the authorised person thereof and the new owner of the animal;

17.1.2. in the presence of the owner of the animal or the authorised person thereof and by submitting the information referred to in Sub-paragraph 8.2 of this Regulation certified by the owner of the new animal;

17.1.3. in the presence of the owner of the animal or the authorised person thereof and indicating the country in which the animal will be kept, and also the given name (names), surname of the new owner of the animal (if the animal will be kept in another country);

17.2. to the previous and new owners of the animal - a natural person (except for a non-resident) - by logging in the portal of State administration services latvija.lv and entering information on the change of the owner and the new owner approving it;

17.3. by sending an electronically signed submission of the current and new owners of the animal to the Data Centre or a veterinary medical practice institution with the information referred to in Sub-paragraph 8.2 of this Regulation;

17.4. if the animal is being alienated to another country, the owner of the animal or the authorised person thereof shall submit a submission to the Data Centre, indicating the given name (names), surname of the new owner of the animal, and country where the animal will be held.

18. The owner of the animal or the authorised person thereof shall register the events with an animal referred to in Sub-paragraphs 16.2, 16.3, 16.4, and 16.8 of this Regulation in the database within 72 hours after the event in one of the following ways:

18.1. in the Data Centre;

18.2. at a practising veterinarian;

18.3. in the portal of State administration services www.latvija.lv;

18.4 with the local government;

18.5. in the unified State and local government customer service centre.

19. The events with an animal referred to in Sub-paragraphs 16.5, 16.6, 16.7, and 16.9 of this Regulation shall be registered in the database of animals only by a practising veterinarian within 72 hours after the event.

20. In order to register the event with an animal in the database, its owner or the authorised person thereof shall present a personal identification document, the pet animal passport or vaccination certificate to a practising veterinarian, the Data Centre, the unified State and local government customer service centre, or a local government employee and provide information on the event with the animal. The authorised person shall also present an appropriate authorisation.

21. In order to become the keeper of a registered pet animal for the period while its owner (natural person) is unable to fulfil the obligations of the owner of the animal or until the right of inheritance is confirmed after the death of the owner of the animal (natural person), the person shall refer to a practising veterinarian or submit a submission to the Data Centre for the change of the keeper of the pet animal and the place of holding.

22. The Data Centre shall:

22.1. within three working days, enter into the database the information on the event with an animal which has been received from a practising veterinarian, a local government, or an employee of the unified State and local government customer service centre or the owner of the pet animal;

22.2. within three working days, make changes in the information registered in the database on the basis of an administrative act or court ruling;

22.3. publish and maintain on its website the information received from persons on the registered pet animals found and the information received from the owners or keepers of pet animals on missing registered pet animals, indicating:

22.3.1. the identity number of the animal;

22.3.2. a note on where additional information may be received;

22.4. delete a pet animal from the database if no events with the animal have been registered in the database within 20 years after the registration thereof;

22.5. store the information registered in the database on the change of the owner or keeper of the pet animal, the change of the location of holding, and the sterilisation throughout the life of the animal;

22.6. send the owner of the pet animal a statement on the registration of the animal in the database and on the registration of the event with an animal referred to in Paragraph 16 of this Regulation to the electronic mail address or official electronic address, if such has been created for the person, referred to in Sub-paragraph 8.2.2 of this Regulation;

22.7. send information on the change of the owner of the pet animal when the animal is alienated to both the existing owner of the animal and the new owner of the animal to the electronic mail address or official electronic address, if such has been created for the person, referred to in Sub-paragraph 8.2.2 of this Regulation;

22.8. publish and maintain on their website a list of the veterinary medical practice institutions with which a contract for the identification and registration of pet animals in the database has been concluded.

V. Closing Provisions

23. Cabinet Regulation No. 491 of 21 June 2011, Procedures for the Registration of Pet Animals (Latvijas Vēstnesis, 2011, No. 100; 2015, No. 41; 2016, No. 124; 2017, No. 21; 2020, No. 97), is repealed.

24. Only a practising veterinarian shall register a pet animal which is marked with the microchip but has not been registered in the database until the day of coming into force of this Regulation.

25. The Regulation shall come into force on 1 July 2022.

Prime Minister A. K. Kariņš

Minister for Agriculture K. Gerhards

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Translation © 2024 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)