From 1 July 2026, every dog in the Czech Republic must be entered in the new Central Dog Register. The entry is made by a vet, at the latest at the dog's next rabies vaccination. Anyone who does not register their dog risks a fine of up to CZK 300,000.
What the new obligation means for owners was explained by the Chamber of Veterinary Surgeons and the Ministry of Agriculture. Here is what matters.
Who the register covers
All dogs, without exception. Each animal is entered separately; several dogs cannot be entered together in one record.
The details are entered into the register by a vet. Owners do not have to make a separate trip for it: the entry is made at the latest at the next rabies vaccination, which is compulsory by law in the Czech Republic. There is a fee for the entry, and each veterinary practice sets its own amount.
A puppy from a breeding kennel must be in the register before the breeder hands it over to its new owner. The new owner then transfers the dog to their own name, again at the latest at the rabies vaccination.
When to have your dog registered
The Chamber of Veterinary Surgeons asks owners not to rush to register and to have their dog entered only at its regular vaccination. There are a lot of dogs, after all: according to 2023 figures from FEDIAF, the European federation of pet food manufacturers, roughly 2.23 million of them live in the Czech Republic, the fourth-highest number in Europe after Hungary, Poland and Romania. The Chamber fears that a rush straight after launch would overwhelm the register.
Some rabies vaccines are repeated every year, others once every three years. The register will therefore fill up gradually, over the following three years.
Compliance is checked by the State Veterinary Administration. It is not planning any blanket campaign: inspectors will check that a dog is registered during their routine inspections, and only where the owner's obligation has actually arisen.
What goes into the register
- basic details about the dog: breed, sex, whether it is neutered,
- its rabies vaccination,
- microchip details and, where there is one, the pet passport,
- the owner's details and a contact in case the dog gets lost.
Owners can also enter contact details or report a lost dog in the register themselves.
What the register is for
The state expects two things of it above all: curbing the illegal trade in animals, and faster resolution of cases where a dog is lost or found. Besides vets, municipalities and the police will also have access to the register.
Representatives of municipalities welcome it. According to them, people regularly call mayors to say a stray dog is running loose in the village, and expect the municipality to deal with it. Tracing the owner tends to be difficult, and it comes up week after week. When no owner is found, the municipality has to arrange for the dog to be caught and pay a shelter for its care, and then has no one to recover the costs from. They therefore see a single, working register as a step in the right direction.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, running and administering the register will cost around CZK 3 million a year, somewhat more after launch and less over time. The ministry's spokesman Vojtěch Bílý put the cost of building the system and running it for four years at CZK 23 million.
Source: ČT24, Od července musí majitelé evidovat psy, jinak hrozí vysoká pokuta (7 June 2026).