New law – Dog owners in Neustadt must now go to school

From today, Thursday, the new law on dog ownership in Lower Austria comes into force. In the future, you can only keep up to five dogs, you have to register the dogs with the municipality, insure them too – and go to a dog school for mistresses and gentlemen.

The Certificate of Proficiency includes three hours that all dog owners must complete: one hour with a veterinarian and two hours on dog ownership and the human-animal relationship. The cost of this is about 70 euros. The two-hour theoretical session can be completed with a dog trainer, and the one-hour information session can be conducted by any veterinarian.

In the case of “listed dogs” or if a dog has already bitten a person, a ten-hour “extended experience” is required.

Important: Not everyone who already has a dog has to catch up on the experience — at least for now. If you get a new hand, you must provide proof of competency.

All dogs who find a new home must be insured from June 1. Those held before June 1 must be insured until 2025.

Thirdly, from June there will be a cap on stopping “animal hoarding”: in the future, a maximum of five dogs may be kept in the house. If you already have more than five dogs, there is no need to give them away. There are exceptions to the upper limit for guard dogs, sled dogs, hunting dogs, and breeders.

“Keeping a dog is a responsible task that requires a good knowledge of canine behavior,” says Selina Bronster (Greenz), a member of the veterinary council at Wiener Neustadt (Greenz). With the right knowledge and trust, dog owners can develop into an effective team with their dogs.”