Keeping Pets Permanently Chained or on a Balcony Will Be Banned Under Two Laws Parliament Passed on Wednesday, Along With Pain-Causing Collars
Both laws come from PAN bills and were approved over the votes of PSD and CDS-PP. What they say, the 90 days the Government has to regulate, and what is not known until the texts are published.
Parliament on Wednesday passed two laws that ban keeping companion animals permanently chained or permanently on balconies, and outlaw the sale and use of collars that can cause pain, injury or stress. Both come from bills by the PAN (Pessoas-Animais-Natureza, People-Animals-Nature) party and were approved in the final overall vote, according to Lusa, as reported by Notícias ao Minuto and Observador.
What the two laws say
- Chaining and balconies. The first law prohibits keeping animals chained or on balconies on a permanent basis. Its final text says that companion animals "cannot be left without supervision compatible with their physiological and ethological needs for a period liable to compromise their welfare, health or safety".
- Collars and training devices. The second law regulates devices used to restrain and train companion animals. It bans the sale and use of collars liable to cause them pain, injury and stress, and says that "where restraint or training equipment is needed, it must not cause the animals unnecessary injury, pain or distress".
The Government will have 90 days after publication to draw up the regulations for the first law, according to Lusa.
How parliament voted
PSD and CDS-PP, the two parties in the governing coalition, voted against both laws, and the PCP abstained on both. The IL (Iniciativa Liberal) voted against the law on restraint and training devices and abstained on the one on chaining and balconies. Both laws passed on the votes of the other parties.
What is not known yet
The final texts have not yet been published. That means it is not yet clear how long an animal may be tied up or kept on a balcony before it counts as "permanent", which collars are covered (for example, electric shock or prong collars), what fines apply, or when the rules start. Those details will be in the published law and the Government's regulations, and we will report them when they appear.
First, the President of the Republic, António José Seguro, has to sign the laws. He may instead veto them or send them to the Constitutional Court. They take effect only once they are published in the Diário da República (the official gazette).
Until then, cases of abuse or abandonment can already be reported to the GNR or the PSP under the existing law. The GNR has received more than 2,600 such reports since 2024, with Porto district filing the most, and recorded 471 crimes in the first half of this year.
