Cat and dog owners who do not wish to neuter their pets will be required to submit their pet’s DNA sample to a specialized laboratory at the Academy of Athens, the Interior Ministry said on Thursday, ANA reports.
The directive will allow authorities to trace the owners of abandoned or abused pets and those who abandoned or killed newly born kittens and puppies.
The cost of this procedure is a one-off fee of 135 euros for each companion animal paid via https://www.gsis.gr/en, and 15 euros paid to the veterinarian who collects the genetic sample. No fee is charged for livestock guard dogs, it was noted. Pet owners who do not neuter their pets or submit a genetic sample could face a 1,000-euro fine.
Genetic samples will be stored for at least 12 years at the Academy of Athens’ Laboratory for the Storage & Analysis of Genetic Material of Companion Animals, which is currently under construction.
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