Polish plan to remove aggressive dogs and bar adoption faces criticism

A proposed Polish law would allow prosecutors to remove aggressive dogs from their owners after attacks, but lawyers say the plan could condemn the animals to indefinite shelter stays without adoption.

Law and Justice lawmakers said the state should not wait for a dog with a history of attacks to hurt a person or another animal again. Under their proposal, a prosecutor could order the seizure of a dog that caused injury or death and that a specialist judged likely to attack again.

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The state cannot wait until an aggressive dog with a history of attacks harms a person or another animal again.

The animal would go to a shelter or another facility for dogs considered dangerous. It could not be adopted. In ordinary cases, an expert in animal behavior or a district veterinary officer would have to issue an assessment within 21 days. In urgent cases, the deadline would be 14 days, and a prosecutor could remove the dog before receiving the specialist’s opinion.

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The bill amending the animal-protection law, in its current form, is inhumane, and it is unclear how it would fulfill its purpose.

Owners could appeal the prosecutor’s order to a district court, which would have 14 days to decide. The proposal would also create an offense punishable by detention or a fine for anyone who gave a seized dog for adoption, placed it in a temporary home or transferred it to another person. The same penalties would apply to obstructing or preventing the order’s execution.

Maria Januszczyk of the Lawyers for Animals Association said Poland needs a system for cases involving dogs that pose a real risk of another attack. She called the proposal in its current form inhumane and unclear, and argued that an administrative procedure would be more appropriate than giving prosecutors the power to remove dogs. Lawyers questioned by Rzeczpospolita said the proposal was harmful, particularly because it would prevent adoption.

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We are not completely opposed to taking dogs away from their owners in justified cases, but certainly not in the form proposed in the bill.