In Northern Cyprus, owners of unchipped dogs will face fines

The Veterinary Department of the TRNC announces that joint inspections with municipalities and the police are commencing under the Dog Registration Regulation. Administrative fines will be imposed on owners of unregistered dogs that do not have a microchip.

In a statement issued by the Veterinary Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, it is emphasized that the Dog Registration Regulation came into effect in 2014. Dog registration is essential to identify their owners, enter these records into the national computer database, and reduce the number of stray dogs.

The statement also mentions that, according to the rules of the relevant decree, individuals who own dogs are obliged to microchip and register their pets by completing the pet registration form at free veterinary clinics.

"People who fail to microchip and register their dogs commit an offense punishable by an administrative fine equivalent to 1/4 of the minimum wage," the department's statement says.

It is also noted that stray dogs, escaping from their owners or abandoned during the hunting season, pose a threat by attacking agricultural and domestic animals and even humans. Often, they become the cause of traffic accidents and accidents, endangering human lives.