Not necessarily! Our county (in Germany) requires that all dogs be licensed, and thus they're given a number, and the owner's name and address are recorded. This is for tax purposes, as a dog tax of about €90 up to about €1,000, depending on the breed and/or town, has to be paid annually. This doesn't apply to cats yet. (€1 = c. $1.30).Originally Posted by Nano
Ouch, I should have said "licensed" instead of "registered"...
Well, I really started a messed up thread. Sorry about that!
Both dog and cat owners currently have the option of having their pet tattooed and/or microchipped, and those numbers, along with a description of the pet and the owner's name, address, telephone number(s) and email address are entered in one of two national registers, or both, if you prefer. This has nothing to do with the pet being pedigreed, but serves to identify lost or abandoned pets.
Microchip (transponder) numbers, plus the pertinent data, can also be entered in a European register, for a small fee. This is also for identification.
At present, all dogs, cats, and ferrets crossing European borders have to be registered in this manner. The plan is to make it mandatory for all pets, even within national borders, to prevent people from abandoning their pets.