2. Tierhaltungsverordnung

2. Tierhaltungsverordnung · BMSGPK, Austria

Austria’s federal ordinance fixing the concrete minimum conditions for keeping dogs, from kennel size to weaning age.

01 What It Is

The 2. Tierhaltungsverordnung is the federal ordinance, made under Austria’s Animal Protection Act (Tierschutzgesetz), that sets minimum husbandry standards for vertebrate animals not covered by the first ordinance, dogs among them. It carries the operative detail beneath the Act’s general welfare duties.

02 What It Covers

Its dog provisions set a minimum usable kennel area of fifteen square meters, require that several dogs generally be kept together as a social group unless there is good reason not to, and forbid separating puppies from the mother before they are over eight weeks old. It also covers daylight, exercise and the fit of muzzles.

03 How It Is Checked

It is binding law, enforced by the district administrative and veterinary authorities, which may inspect, order changes and, where breeding stock is kept in breach, confiscate animals. The standards are specified precisely enough to be assessed directly on a visit.

04 Why It Matters

For a dog kept in Austria, this is the ordinance that converts a general promise of good treatment into a measurable floor, the space it must have, the company it should keep, and the age before which it cannot be taken from its mother.

Common Questions

Is it mandatory?

Yes. It is a binding federal ordinance under Austria’s Animal Protection Act, carrying the operative detail beneath the Act’s general welfare duties.

Who enforces it?

The district administrative and veterinary authorities, which may inspect, order changes and confiscate animals where breeding stock is kept in breach.

What does it require for dogs?

A minimum usable kennel area of fifteen square meters, a default that several dogs be kept together as a social group unless there is good reason not to, and a ban on separating puppies from the mother before eight weeks. It also covers daylight, exercise and muzzle fit.

How is it checked?

On inspection by the district authorities. The standards are specified precisely enough to be assessed directly during a visit.

Who does it apply to?

Keepers of dogs and other vertebrates not covered by Austria’s first animal-keeping ordinance.

Why does it matter?

It converts a general promise of good treatment into a measurable floor: the space a dog must have, the company it should keep, and the age before which it cannot be taken from its mother.

Primary sources

2. Tierhaltungsverordnung, consolidated text (RIS)ris.bka.gv.at