Dogs are better than cats, and the numbers agree with me on that. FEDIAF (2022) showed over a million more dogs than cats in the Czech Republic. It’s almost impossible to walk down the street without seeing an adorable pup. Evidently, Czechs love their pets, so why is a potential ban on tethering them causing controversy?

Earlier this year, members of parliament agreed to ban the long-term tethering of dogs, classifying it as animal cruelty (PragueDaily, 2025). The bill, introduced by TOP 09, has now advanced to the Senate for further debate. While Czechia joins several other E.U. countries prohibiting dog tethering, the decision has strangely enough sparked contention among animal rights activists (Smúdalová, 2025).