Czechia’s Dog Tethering Ban: A Step Forward or a Legal Gray Area?

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).

What does it mean to tether a dog?

Tethering, which refers to fastening a dog to a stationary object and leaving it unattended, has been shown to harm a dog’s physical and psychological well-being (Humane World, 2018). However, dog tethering might be necessary in some cases, especially during training and in the presence of other animals. Research by Yeon et al. (2001) suggests that keeping dogs in pens does not necessarily lead to better welfare, indicating that alternative confinement methods also have limitations. In certain situations, tethering can help ensure a dog’s safety and proper socialization while preventing conflicts with other animals.  

On the other hand, without enough space to retreat when frightened, dogs are more likely to develop aggression and engage in fights, and become less docile over time. Additionally, tethered dogs are vulnerable to attacks from insects, stray animals, and people. Physically, they face a higher risk of becoming entangled in their leash or collar, increasing the danger of strangulation. 

That being said, tethered dogs can only be released by a veterinarian if they were in a severely neglected state. . This rule is intended to protect good samaritans from potential attacks by aggressive animals, but it has inadvertently contributed to widespread animal cruelty in the region. TOP 09’s bill seeks to safeguard both humans and animals by prohibiting dog tethering altogether.

Why are people upset about this new ban?

In an interview with Smúdalová (2025), Pavla Dorničová from the Animal Protection Foundation said that the law’s ambiguity and enforcement will lead to future complications. At the moment, it lacks a specific time frame for dog tethering to be considered ‘long-term.’ While this might change during deliberations in the upper house, Dorničová is correct to worry if the law is currently too obscure.

Ambiguity in a legal document works against the party who drafted it, so MPs should seriously consider adding specificity to this ban if they want it to be successful. Unlike the Czech bill, many states in the U.S. identify this amount of time: Nevada limits tethering to 14 hours a day, Oregon to 10, and Massachusetts to five (Wisch, 2023). Without this language, ‘long-term’ could mean a week or even a month; Personally, I’ve always considered long-term to mean at least a year.
Violating this rule will be a misdemeanor, and its penalty will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Authorities will make this decision based on the animal’s health, and the abuse needs to be proven during an administrative proceeding, says Vojtěch Bílý, spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture in an interview with Smúdalová (2025). 

To me, what this means is that this bill is ineffective — and I’m saying that before it’s even gone into effect. Its goal to curtail abuse cannot possibly be accomplished when any good lawyer could use this very obvious loophole to sidestep their client from actual accountability. TOP05 and other MPs need to add a time frame and more specifics before allowing this bill to pass the Senate, otherwise, this law could be nothing more than a business expense for abusive dog breeders across the country.

Global Regulations: U.S. versus E.U 

Czechia has the third-highest rate of dog ownership per household in the E.U at 42%, following Poland and Romania (FEDIAF, 2024). In comparison, 45.5% of households in the U.S. have dogs (Larkin, 2024). Even though both regions share a high prevalence of dog ownership, regulations on tethering vary greatly. The U.S. does not have federal laws on dog tethering, but 23 states have explicit laws governing the practice; the remaining 27 may still penalize owners for tethering under broader animal cruelty laws, (Wisch, 2023).

European countries also have varying regulations on dog tethering. Austria, Sweden, and Germany have the strictest laws, almost entirely prohibiting the practice and imposing severe financial and sometimes even criminal penalties on those who violate the rules, (Angelini et al., 2022). In contrast, countries like Portugal offer very little legal protection for dogs — for some reason.

Because these regulations are relatively new, reliable data on their effects is limited. However, it is reasonable to assume that stricter tethering laws will lead to improved animal welfare and a reduction in cases of neglect. By limiting prolonged restraint, these regulations could encourage owners to provide better living conditions for their dogs.

Legal protections for Czech animals

While enforcement details remain unclear, this bill aligns with Czechia’s long-standing commitment to animal welfare. Czechs have a long history of protecting their animals, and this legislation is built on the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) of 1992, which banned cruelty to and groundless killing of animals (Müllerová, 2012). Czech law has a well-established framework for addressing animal cruelty, ensuring that all potential actions causing animal suffering are covered. The most severe cases are subject to criminal prosecution, and the prohibition on cruelty is reinforced by strict regulations against killing animals without legal justification.

As Czechia moves forward with its proposed tethering ban, the debate highlights the broader challenge of balancing animal welfare with practical enforcement. While stricter regulations may help reduce neglect and improve dogs’ well-being, concerns over the bill’s legal ambiguity and enforcement remain. The Czech law reflects a growing global trend toward stronger animal protection, but its success will depend on clear guidelines, effective oversight, and public awareness. This action could have repercussions all over Europe; MPs need to add specificity to their bill now.

Sources

Angelini, G., Bondar, A. and Kun, Z. (2022). Towards Prohibiting the Chaining of Dogs. [online] Green Impact. Available at: https://www.greenimpact.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Prohibiting-the-chaining-of-dogs_14_06_2022-EN-1.pdf

FEDIAF (n.d.). FACTS & FIGURES Published with Annual Report 2024. Available at: https://europeanpetfood.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/FEDIAF-Facts-Figures-2022_Online100.pdf.

Larkin, M. (2024). Pet population continues to increase while pet spending declines. [online] American Veterinary Medical Association. Available at: https://www.avma.org/news/pet-population-continues-increase-while-pet-spending-declines

Müllerová, H. (n.d.). Animals Finally above Objects and Stricter Criminalization of Cruelty: Some Insights in Czech Animal Legislation. [online] Available at: https://www.animallaw.info/sites/default/files/Vol%203%20num%201%20Animals%20Finally%20above%20Objects%20and%20Stricter%20Criminalization%20of%20Cruelty%20Some%20Insights%20in%20Czech%20Animal%20Legislation.pdf.

PragueDaily (2025). Long-Term Tethering of Dogs to Be Banned in the Czech Republic – Prague Daily News. [online] Prague Daily News. Available at: https://www.praguedaily.news/2025/01/24/long-term-tethering-of-dogs-to-be-banned-in-the-czech-republic/

Smúdalová, A. (2025). Konec psů na řetězu. Dlouhodobé uvazování bude v Česku zakázané. [online] Seznamzpravy.cz. Available at: https://www.seznamzpravy.cz/clanek/domaci-zivot-v-cesku-konec-psu-na-retezu-dlouhodobe-uvazovani-bude-v-cesku-zakazane-269055

TOP 09 (2025). TOP 09 podporuje ochranu zvířat, prosadila zákaz uvazování psů. [online] TOP 09. Available at: https://www.top09.cz/co-delame/tiskove-zpravy/top-09-podporuje-ochranu-zvirat-prosadila-zakaz-uvazovani-psu-32111.html

Wisch, R. (2023). Table of State Dog Tether Laws | Animal Legal & Historical Center. [online] Michigan State University College of Law. Available at: https://www.animallaw.info/topic/table-state-dog-tether-laws#:~:text=Tethering%20or%20chaining%20a%20dog,do%20have%20se