Introduction of the Law on Mandatory Dog Microchipping – The Path to Responsible Ownership and the End of the Shame of Animal Abandonment in BiH
Shame on the streets, mountains and suburbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Mandatory dog microchipping in BiH is a key mechanism for solving the problem of abandoned dogs, irresponsible ownership and compromised public safety. Abandoned dogs in Bosnia and Herzegovina are no longer an isolated incident or a local oversight – they are systemic state failure. Dogs are abandoned on the streets, in forests, along highways and in mountain picnic areas every day. Locations like Trebević have become a symbol not only of human irresponsibility, but also of institutional silence.
This problem is not just a matter of emotions and pity for animals. It directly affects public safety, public health, local community budgets and the state's reputation. Most importantly, it exposes the complete lack of accountability of owners, as the system currently lacks an effective way to identify and sanction them.
That's exactly why, Mandatory chipping of dogs upon purchase It is not an option, but a necessity. Without it, any talk about solving the problem of abandoned dogs remains empty rhetoric.
I. Detailed analysis of the problem: How irresponsible ownership creates chaos
The current system in Bosnia and Herzegovina enables the following absurdity:
a person can buy or adopt a dog, keep it for a while, and then simply throw it out on the street - without any consequences.
Key causes of the problem
- Does not exist automated legal connection between dog and owner
- Does not exist central, functional and mandatory register
- Does not exist fear of punishment, because identification of the owner is almost never possible
The result is a chain of negative consequences that affects the whole society.
You can read more about the impact that the human-animal relationship has on the psyche, empathy, and emotional stability in our APA guide on how pets affect human mental health. https://apachannel.com/ljubimci-i-mentalno-zdravlje/
Consequences of abandoning dogs
1. Public safety
Packs of abandoned dogs, especially in remote and mountainous areas like Trebević, pose a real risk. Hunger, disease, and fear increase the possibility of aggressive behavior, bites, and conflicts with people.
2. Public hygiene and health
Abandoned dogs are often unvaccinated, which increases the risk of spreading infectious diseases, including zoonoses that can be transmitted to humans.
3. Animal suffering
Hunger, injuries, parasites, cold, abuse – this is the everyday life of abandoned dogs. This is not a matter of „natural selection“, but a direct consequence of human neglect.
4. Financial burden on citizens
The costs of capture, asylum, treatment and euthanasia (where it occurs) fall on the backs of citizens, while the real culprits remain anonymous.
II. Key systemic solution: Law on mandatory chipping of dogs upon purchase
If we want a solution that works, it must be simple, obligatory and inevitable.
Such a solution is legal obligation to microchip dogs at the time of sale or adoption.
How would the law work in practice?
1. Obligation of the seller, breeder or shelter
No dog may change owners without an implanted microchip.
2. Current owner registration
Data about the owner (name, JMBG, address, contact) are entered in central registry, associated with a unique chip number.
3. Simple identification of an abandoned dog
A veterinarian, municipal police or inspector scans the chip – the owner's identity is obtained in a few seconds.
4. The end of anonymity
Abandoning a dog is no longer an "invisible crime", but a clearly provable offence.
This is apa prevention guide, not repression – a law that prevents a problem before it happens.
III. Rigorous penalties: Without it, the law makes no sense
Chipping without sanctions is pointless.
Therefore, the law must include rigorous, painful and long-term punishments.
Proposed sanctions
- High fine which many times exceeds the cost of keeping a dog
- Payment of all care costs (asylum, treatment, nutrition)
- Permanent ban on keeping pets
- Recording violators in a special database
The goal is clear:
The one who leaves a dog must pay such a price (penalty) that he never thinks of having an animal again.
IV. Trebević as a mirror of the problems of the entire country
The Trebević case is no exception – it is symptom. Dogs are not born alone there. They were brought and left.
If this problem is ignored, the consequences are inevitable:
- increased aggression due to hunger
- dog fights
- endangering tourists and children
Concrete solution steps
- Emergency humane treatment of dogs
- Scanning all dogs
- Punishing identified owners
- Chipping and sterilization before adoption
This is not a question of whether it is possible whether there is political will.
Without system dog chipping in BiH, identification of irresponsible owners remains impossible and the problem of abandonment continues.
V. APA analysis: Ethics, responsibility and the role of the state
Within APA (Animal Protection Act) principles, the state has a clear obligation:
- protect the powerless
- prevent suffering
- to act preventively
Ignoring the problem of abandoned dogs is ethical and institutional failure. Prevention through chipping is far more humane, cheaper and more efficient than endless "firefighting".
A transparent and centralized registry of microchipped dogs must be the foundation of this system – without exceptions.
European Union policies in the field of animal welfare clearly indicate that the identification and registration of pets are the foundation of responsible ownership and compliance with modern European practices. https://food.ec.europa.eu/animals/animal-welfare/protecting-welfare-dogs-and-cats_en
Civilization test for Bosnia and Herzegovina
Compulsory chipping of dogs upon acquisition is not a bureaucratic whim.
That is test of societal maturity.
A society that cannot protect animals cannot be called orderly. It is time to end the practice of ignoring them and introduce a law that clearly separates responsible people from those who see life as a consumable commodity.
❓ Questions for readers
- Would you support a law on mandatory dog chipping in Bosnia and Herzegovina if it would clearly identify and severely punish owners who abandon their dogs?
- Do you think it is fair that the costs of abandoned dogs are borne by citizens and municipalities, while irresponsible owners remain anonymous and unpunished?
- Can Bosnia and Herzegovina call itself an orderly and humane society while thousands of dogs end up on the streets, mountains and forests due to the lack of responsible ownership?
It's time to act.
Do not turn your head. Every abandoned dog is the result of human irresponsibility and system silence.
Raise your voice today.
➡️ Share this text in order to reach as many people as possible.
➡️ Demand from the authorities urgent introduction of the Law on Mandatory Dog Microchipping in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
➡️ Support initiatives and associations who fight for animal protection and responsible ownership.
This is not a political issue – this is a matter of conscience.
If we don't act now, tomorrow we will see the same scenes, the same suffering, and the same shame.
For dogs who don't have a voice - be their voice today.
By introducing mandatory dog chipping in BiH, the state would finally take a decisive step towards responsible ownership and protection of animals.