The bill was part of a broader amendment to the Animal Protection Act and aimed to prohibit keeping dogs permanently on chains while also setting minimum requirements for outdoor kennels. Among other requirements it would have meant that kennels needed to meet specific size standards depending on a dog’s size and that short term tethering would be allowed only under defined circumstances such as during walks or transport.

When the bill reached the Sejm in September 2025, a clear majority of MPs voted in favour of the new rules. According to independent media reporting, 280 MPs voted in favour, 105 were opposed and 30 abstained. Support for the bill came from a range of parties including the governing coalition and some members of the national conservative Law and Justice party.

The vote was seen by many supporters as a historic step for the treatment of companion animals in Poland where existing rules on chaining were widely regarded as difficult to enforce and insufficient to prevent suffering. The old law permitted keeping a dog on a three metre chain for up to 12 hours a day without clear enforcement mechanisms, a situation animal welfare groups described as ineffective.

Despite the parliamentary majority for the chain law, the legislation faced a major obstacle at the presidential level. President Karol Nawrocki exercised his constitutional right to veto the bill in early December 2025. The president described parts of the bill, especially the minimum kennel size requirements, as unrealistic and potentially harmful for farmers, breeders and ordinary rural households. He characterised some of the proposed standards as unduly burdensome and detached from practical realities in the countryside.

Following the veto the Sejm debated whether to overturn it in mid-December 2025. Overcoming a presidential veto in Poland requires a three fifths majority of MPs present with at least half of all MPs in attendance. On this occasion parliamentarians failed to reach the threshold and the veto remained in force. The final tally included 246 MPs voting against overturning the veto and 192 supporting the override attempt.

The failure to override the veto means that the original chain law will not become law. President Nawrocki announced at the time of the veto that he would submit his own legislative proposal on animal welfare aimed at ending long term chaining while avoiding provisions he saw as problematic. His alternative proposal is expected to ban chaining but does not include detailed minimum size standards for kennels.

The debate over these laws sparked strong reactions within Polish society. Thousands of citizens marched in Warsaw to protest the presidential veto and called on lawmakers to uphold the parliamentary majority’s decision. Polls reported significant public opposition to the veto, with a majority of respondents opposing the decision to block the chain ban. Critics of the veto argued that a ban on chaining alone does not go far enough to guarantee good conditions for dogs both in rural and urban settings.

Supporters of the chain law, including members of the governing coalition, say they will continue efforts in parliament to refine and reintroduce measures that would effectively end the practice of leaving dogs on chains. Opponents, including some rural representatives, have emphasised the need for legislation that balances animal welfare protections with the realities of rural life.

The episode underlines an ongoing debate in Poland about how best to legislate animal welfare and what balance should be struck between modern standards for companion animals and the needs of rural and farming communities. As political discussion continues into 2026, animal welfare advocates and policymakers on all sides are preparing for further proposals and debates on the future of canine care in Polish law.

Photo by Valeria Boltneva from Pexels