One of the most often shared “unusual” laws in Switzerland, the country where I reside, is that you’re not allowed to own only one guinea pig. The reasoning is that social animals*, such as guinea pigs, must be kept in groups of at least two animals. There are even companies that “rent a guinea pig” to help owners remain in compliance with the law.
What are the interesting/strange laws regarding animals where you live? I found lots when I googled the topic but I thought it would be fun to see which ones our animal-loving forum members have encountered.
*According to Swiss law, social animals are “guinea pigs, mice, gerbils, rats, degus and chinchillas, and (for birds) Japanese quails, macaws, cockatoos, parakeets, parrots, canaries, estrildid finches and – of course – lovebirds. Domestic rabbits “may not be kept on their own during their first eight weeks”, after that they should be kept in groups “whenever possible”. If it’s not possible, they must at least be able to hear and smell other rabbits.”
How interesting! It makes a lot of sense and good if the pets are happier overall.
I think I read on this forum that the Swedish law says that your dog should be allowed to go outside at least every 6 hours. If you keep it indoors, it must have a view of a window allowing sunlight. Again a very good law!
I think that’s a great law @Mary-Kay … I’m always saddened when I see solitary pets that are inherently social.
I grew up in the UK in “Royal” Berkshire not too far from Windsor Castle, and I remember once being told it was an “off with your head” situation if you allowed your dog to mate with a royal corgi! Your post has just led me to check this out and I discovered… (courtesy of Daily Echo)
The likelihood of stumbling upon Her Majesty the Queen’s corgis whilst on a walk with your pooch is probably quite low, however it’s an offence for your pet to mate with a pet from the royal house without asking permission first. This law once resulted in executions before the death penalty was abolished, although thankfully you’re now more likely to just land a fine.
Great question and I look forward to reading more quirky pet laws… especially those that make perfect sense!!
What a fun topic! In the U.S. there are several silly state or city laws - for instance, in Oklahoma (or maybe just in this one town) you can’t make an “ugly face” at a dog (it may incite it to bite you), nor can more than 3 dogs congregate without written permission from the mayor. In a town in Colorado, cats are supposed to wear taillights if they roam free at night. I can’t imagine any of these are followed, however.
Across the USA , you’ll discover varying state laws that are specific to pets. In Little Rock, Arkansas, dogs are banned from barking after 6pm.
In California, if your pet bird goes missing in the wee hours of the morning, you must wait until after 7am to whistle to attract them back.
In Wyoming, you are prevented from taking pictures of rabbits between January and May.
If you’ve been tempted to spend the night in a dog kennel, you can rule out Idaho, where it is illegal to do.
In Australia , once you give an animal a name, you are required to keep it. The law dictates that you are only allowed to name an animal if you intend to keep it as a pet
