For millions of Poles, the dog is not only an animal, but a full associate of the family. regular walks, fun and unconditional love are the bright side of having a four-legged. However, there is besides a formal page, full of responsibilities and regulations that many owners forget or just don't know. In the meantime, since June 2025, due to fresh regulations and enhanced explanation of old regulations, ignorance can cost much more than before. A mandate of up to 500 zł is only the beginning. The fresh rules address key issues: from the way the dog is led on a leash, through mandatory identification, to cleaning after his pet.
Is this it? Not everywhere, but the rules are clearer.
One of the most controversial and vague issues concerns the work to lead a dog on a leash. Many owners believe that if their dog is gentle and obedient, he can run loose. However, the law regulates this issue more precisely and the municipalities introduce their own more restrictive resolutions.
The basis here is Article 77 of the Code of Offence, which speaks of the failure of average or prescribed precautions to hold an animal. "Common precautions" is the concept of vague, but the jurisprudence of the courts and the practice of the City defender go in 1 direction: in public places specified as streets, squares, parks or common areas of residential settlements, specified a means is simply a leash and frequently besides a muzzle (especially for breeds considered aggressive).
What's changing? More and more cities and municipalities update their regulations to keep cleanliness and order, clearly indicating zones where dropping a dog from a leash is strictly prohibited. In practice, this means that the free moving of a pet is almost exclusively allowed on specially designated and fenced catwalks for dogs, in forests (subject to full control of the owner, of which below) and on his own fenced property.
A fine of between 50 and 250 PLN is threatened for breaking this provision. However, if a dog, moving in bulk, creates a threat to human life or wellness (e.g. runs to a kid or cyclist, causing his fall), the punishment may increase to PLN 500 and the case may end in court.
Forest is No Outer Run – fresh State Forest Guidelines
Many dog owners consider the forest to be an perfect place to freely blur the pet. It's a mistake that can be expensive. Article 166 of the Code of Offence explicitly states that “who in the forest looses a dog, in addition to hunting activities, is subject to fines or reprimands.” This provision is absolute and there are no exceptions to it.
Foresters and forest guards are increasingly and severely enforcing this ban. Why? A dog moving loose poses a immense threat to chaotic animals. It can scare deer, hares, or birds nesting on the ground, or even bite smaller animals. In the spring-summer period, erstwhile animals are raised young, this is peculiarly dangerous. The mandate for letting the dog loose in the forest can be up to 500 PLN.
Identification, which means your work and Safety of the Dog
Another issue on which more emphasis is placed is the mandatory recognition of dogs. Although there is not yet a uniform national work in Poland to chip all dogs (as opposed to many EU countries), more and more municipalities introduce specified an order in their local resolutions. It is worth checking what rules apply at your place of residence.
Regardless of the obligation, chipping is the most effective way to find a lost animal. The chip itself is the size of a grain of rice and is implanted by a veterinarian in a fewer seconds. However, it is crucial that after the dog has been chipped register his number in a nationwide database, specified as Safe-Animal.eu, which is integrated into the European system. The chip itself is useless without registration.
Why is it so crucial since June? due to the fact that shelters, city guards and animal welfare organizations are increasingly equipped with chip readers. If you find a stray dog, the first thing they do is scan for a chip. If the dog is registered, the owner is informed within hours. If not, the dog goes to the shelter and his uncovering becomes a lottery. In an age of expanding number of stolen race dogs, the chip is besides evidence of ownership.
Dog Cleaning – End of excuses
The work to clean up after your dog is not new, but the way to enforce it is changing. The mandate for leaving the impurity may be 500 PLN. Increasingly, City defender patrols are not limited to reminders, but they issue tickets immediately. Phototraps besides appear in many cities where the problem is peculiarly severe.
It is worth remembering that the excuse “I have no bag” does not work. The owner, going out with the dog, has a work to be prepared to clean up after him. The deficiency of a bag is treated the same as a failure. This is not only an issue of aesthetics, but above all of public wellness – dogs may be dangerous to people (and especially to children) parasites.
Being liable for dog ownership in 2025 requires more than just love and regular feeding. It requires cognition and compliance with rules aimed at ensuring safety and order in public spaces. Shrink in the city, full control in the forest, registered chips and bags in your pocket – these 4 elements are present an absolute basis that will avoid not only tickets, but above all serious problems and stress.
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Do you have a dog? fresh Rules apply from June. Look, due to the fact that you're facing a mandate and serious trouble.
