We are committed to raising awareness of legal loopholes and legal anomalies and to stimulating social debate about these issues, complementing legal preparatory efforts. The National Programme for the Protection of Animals (NPPA), established and announced in 2008, could also be called a collection of loopholes. As noted by the Advisory Board of the White Cross Animal Protection Society, the year 2008 marking the tenth anniversary of adopting the first Hungarian law on the protection of animals, was not used efficiently enough by animal protection organisations in view of the importance of outstanding issues. They did not carry out sufficient lobbying activities with policy making bodies and they failed to use the media to uncover flaws of law enforcement.
In relation to this issue, the White Cross Animal Protection Society started lobbying efforts with political parties last year.
Our organisation has summarised its proposals under the title “National Programme for the Protection of Animals” (NPPA). The objective of the programme is to improve legal regula-tions pertaining to the protection of animals held in human environment, subject to Act XXVIII of 1998 on the Protection and Humane Treatment of Animals.
The scope of the NPPA includes the following:
• animals kept and used for economic gain,
• animals serving research and experimental purposes,
• animals kept for purposes of diagnostic examination and vaccine production,
• animals treated as gene banks,
• genetically modified vertebrate animals,
• animals kept for purposes of popular science education and educational demonstration,
• animals kept for racing and sports purposes,
• shepherd dogs, as well as watchdogs, guarding dogs, rescue dogs, signal dogs, service dogs, assistance dogs and therapy dogs,
• animals used for hunting,
• animals serving performance or exhibition purposes,
• animals performing various tasks in the Hungarian Defence Forces, police forces, national security services and guard services charged with public functions,
• hobby animals (companion animals),
• dangerous animals,
• ownerless specimens of domestic animals (stray animals),
• specimens of wild animals held in captivity for any reason whatsoever.
As of fall 2010, we set a new research goal of monitoring connections between domestic violence and the mistreatment of animals in Hungary, which requires policy makers and law enforcement authorities to work in the same spirit as a large number of exemplary international organisations. We are committed to raising public awareness of the fact that the protection of animals means the protection of humans at the same time. We want to transform the keeping of animals from a right to a merit on the level of public perception.
National Programme for the Protection of Animals (NPPA)
