It will be necessary for all dogs in the Netherlands to have a passport by 2020. Dog owners whose dogs don’t have a passport will risk getting a fine or a penalty.

Improving animal welfare in the Netherlands

The reason for this measure is to make it easier to track down suspicious dog breeders and importers. Not knowing where a dog comes from means that there are higher risks of rabies and other fatal diseases, and it makes it more difficult to prevent animal cruelty.

Last year, 150 dehydrated and neglected dogs were seized from breeders in Woerden. Knowing where pets in the Netherlands come from and keeping track of each newborn puppy will improve animal welfare and reduce alarming incidents involving neglect or maltreatment of dogs.

Knowing exactly where the dog comes from

Carola Schouten, Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality: "Someone who buys a puppy should be able to know exactly where the animal comes from. The passport will help with that."

The passport will consist of a booklet containing information about the origin of the dog, its previous owners and the dog's medical information. Any current registration systems already in place will be updated to this streamlined system of making sure each dog has a passport. Schouten says "A major operation like this takes time. That is why we can only put this measure into place by January 1, 2020."

Dutch dog names

In other pet-related news, trends have been identified regarding the way in which Dutch dog owners name their dogs. According to the Dutch pet website Tinki, 42 percent of dog owners name their dog with a five-letter name. Two-syllable words are also popular, with 75 percent of dog owners choosing such a name. 

Of all the letters in the alphabet, 16 percent of owners chose a name beginning with B. Disney characters account for 9 percent of dog names in the Netherlands! The top dog names in the Netherlands are:

• Bobby
• Beertje
• Hailey
• Boef
• Buddy
• Moby
• Snoezel
• Luka
• Pippie
• Darka

Do you have a dog? Do you agree with the idea of your dog having a passport? Let us know in the comments below.