Thanks to an Animal Friends Croatia petition, as of this year dogs no longer have to be vaccinated every year but based on vaccine manufacturers' instructions as immunity is guaranteed for up to three years.
Vaccination is linked to microchipping as every dog without a microchip has not been vaccinated against rabies either.
Under the 2017 Animal Protection Act, towns and municipalities must visit every household to check if all dogs are microchipped. According to the Animal Protection Network, 44% of local government units have failed to do so, which is a prerequisite for checking the vaccination of dogs in foster care.
An estimated 20% of dogs in Croatia have not been microchipped nor vaccinated, which Animal Friends Croatia says is devastating considering the systematic checks being done across the country.
That is partly due to owners who avoid to have their dogs microchipped and vaccinated, the association said, adding that the rising number of abandoned animals was due to owners' irresponsibility and breaking the law.
The association recommends that the Agriculture Ministry stipulate microchipping puppies 45 days after they are born at the least, before they receive the first rabies shot, instead of doing so when they are 90 days old and receive the first rabies shot, as is the case now.