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Ownership of certain breeds in Portugal is restricted; find out here all you need to know as a dog owner...
Some breeds have been identified by the Portuguese authorities as potentially dangerous. This relates to their size and jaw strength and a natural inclination to be aggressive. To ensure public safety, legislation was updated in 2013 (Decree 46/2013) to reduce the risk these animals may pose.
For the purposes of this law, potentially dangerous dogs are:
- Those which have bitten, attacked or injured a person
- Those which have seriously injured or killed another animal
- Those of specific breeds (or cross-bred with one of the specified breeds)
Dangerous dog breeds include:
- Fila Brasileiro
- Dogo Argentino
- Tosa Inu
- Rottweiler
- American Staffordshire Terrier
- Pit Bull Terrier
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Further information from Direcção-Geral de Veterinária - DGV
Responsibilities of the owner of a dangerous dog
The keeper of the dog must hold a special licence, which is issued by the Junta de Freguesia in the local district. To apply for the licence the owner of the dog must:
- be at least 18 years of age
- confirm the housing of the animal, the security implemented and the historical aggressiveness of the dog
- have no criminal record
- have civil liability insurance
The licence must be transferred if the keeper moves house and can be requested by the authorities at any time.
The licencee is responsible for:
- maintaining the security of the dog and preventing its escape
- placing a sign at the entrance to the property clearly stating that there is a potentially dangerous dog on the premises
- never leaving the dog alone in a public place
- always keeping the dog on a lead and harness in public; the lead must be no more than one metre in length from the collar to the handler
- attending socialisation training with a DGV certified trainer when the dog is 6-12 months of age (this is required to get civil liability insurance)
- The Rotweiller Clube de Portugal has further information (in Portuguese)