Executive Summary

The Animal Protection Act (2017) is applicable to all vertebrates and provides more specific provisions for several categories of animals including companion animals, farm animals and zoo animals. Poland’s animal protection legislation recognises that animals feel pain and can suffer both physically and mentally, and the legislation provides provisions aimed at preventing actions that could cause them. The Animal Protection Act (2017) also explicitly bans bestiality. Poland is to be commended on the Act on the Protection of Animals used for Scientific or Educational Purposes (2015). The Act not only provides anti-cruelty provisions for animals used in experiments but also enshrines the 3 Rs Principles – Replacement, Reduction, Refinement - in law. The Act also mandates that animals not killed in experiments should be rehomed or rehabilitated for release.

However, hunting is allowed in Poland, both as a population management tool and as a recreational activity. The prohibitions regarding hunting activities, while banning some cruel hunting methods, do not cover some cruel methods such as hunting with dogs. While those undertaking hunting activities are required to undertake a test to gain a hunting permit, the test is created and arranged by the Polish National Hunting Association rather than a government ministry. Similarly, permission to hunt is given by the leaseholder or owner of hunting grounds rather than a government ministry. While the Animal Protection Act (2017) provides protections for many animals, it does not enshrine the Five Freedoms in law. The Government of Poland is yet to ratify the European Convention on the Protection of Pet Animals (1987) and has not followed the example of other EU Member States in issuing national bans on fur farming or the use of wild animals in circuses.

Responsibility for animal welfare falls under the jurisdiction of multiple government ministries including the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry for the Environment. Government ministries with animal welfare responsibilities are named in legislation and are mandated to provide supplementary regulations to govern the care of animals.

Since the 2014 edition of the Animal Protection Index, the Government of Poland has amended many pieces of legislation impacting animal welfare, including the Animal Protection Act (2017) and the Nature Conservation Act (2018).

The Government of Poland is urged to create a multi-stakeholder committee to effectively engage all actors involved in maintaining the well-being of animals and to find solutions for welfare concerns. This committee would guide the country’s policies and strategies on animal welfare, in line with international standards. This committee should include representatives of animal welfare organisations. The Government of Poland is encouraged to enshrine and promote the Five Freedoms for all animals. Furthermore, The Government of Poland is strongly encouraged to promote humane stray animal population management, which relies on promoting responsible ownership, mass vaccinations and reproduction control programmes. Culling has been scientifically proven to be ineffective and should therefore be banned.

Further legal and policy recommendations are associated with each Animal Protection Index (API) indicator and contained in the relevant sections of this report.