Poland: President Signs Fur Farming Ban and Vetoes Minimum Requirements for Dog Kennels
On 2 December 2025, Polish President Karol Nawrocki signed the law banning fur farming. It will enter into force with an eight-year transition period and provides compensation arrangements for breeders who close their operations early. In addition, support and severance payments are planned for the affected employees.
At the same time, the President vetoed a law that would have introduced a permanent ban on tethering dogs and established new minimum standards for dog kennels. The draft provided for the following minimum kennel sizes:
- Dogs under 20 kg: at least 10 m²
- Dogs from 20 kg to 30 kg: at least 15 m²
- Dogs over 30 kg: at least 20 m²
According to the President, these requirements were unrealistic and “absurd”. He therefore submitted his own draft law to the Sejm, which would make it possible to free dogs from chains and improve their protection without imposing disproportionate and difficult-to-meet construction obligations on the population.
The President’s veto was based on Article 122(5) of the Polish Constitution, which allows the President to return a law to the Sejm for reconsideration together with a statement of reasons. If the Sejm subsequently adopts the law again with a three-fifths majority in the presence of at least half of the deputies, the President is obliged to sign it within seven days.
