Owners abandoned a Labrador at the border with Poland because customs officers refused to let him in.

Owners took their dog to the crossing because customs officers did not allow him to enter Poland. This was reported by the organization happy animal paws, which deals with the placement of homeless animals.

The dog was left at the pedestrian crossing at the 'Medyka' checkpoint. The abandoned Labrador wandered around the checkpoint for at least two days.

Later, animal rights activists found a temporary shelter for the dog while a permanent home is sought.

What documents are needed to travel abroad with a pet?

To cross the border with a pet, it is necessary to prepare in advance, as indicated by the State Border Guard Service.

To take an animal out of Ukraine, you need to have a veterinary certificate issued no later than five days before departure.

This certificate serves as the basis for obtaining an international veterinary certificate for crossing the border. To obtain it, you need to contact the state veterinary medicine institution at your place of residence.

The veterinary certificate is issued only under the following conditions:

• The animal is in a clinical state of health;
• Has an international veterinary sanitary passport;
• Is microchipped;
• Has been vaccinated against rabies no less than 30 days before receiving the veterinary certificate;
• A blood test for the presence of antibodies to the rabies pathogen has been conducted no later than 90 days before receiving the veterinary certificate.

We remind you that Ukraine has introduced a Unified State Register of Pets for more effective prevention of the spread of dangerous diseases and harmonization of Ukrainian legislation on animal welfare, which complies with European standards.

In 2024, 178 criminal cases have been initiated regarding animal cruelty (according to Article 299 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), which is more than in the entire previous year when 175 proceedings were registered. Since 2015, a total of 1599 criminal proceedings have been registered. The increase in cases of cruelty to animals occurred in 2018 after the introduction of new fines for offenders. In 2021, penalties were strengthened to possible imprisonment, but due to the war, there has been no increase in proceedings and sentences in this area.