Can you be fined for buying or bringing certain dog breeds into Austria?

A dog owner in Vienna has been fined more than €1,000 after buying a puppy with apparently recognisable harmful breeding traits, according to the city’s animal welfare ombudsman’s office.

The buyer had posted about the purchase on social media and was subsequently reported by an animal welfare NGO. The case shows that it’s not just breeders who could break Austria’s “harmful breeding” laws — buyers might face penalties too.

Under Section 8 of Austria’s Animal Protection Act, you are not allowed to import or acquire a non-farm animal if it has symptoms caused by harmful breeding, known as Qualzuchtsymptome, or harmful breeding characteristics that can already be recognised from the animal’s appearance.

Breaking this rule can result in a fine of up to €7,500. For repeat offences, the maximum rises to €15,000 under Section 38 of the Act.

Does this mean some dog breeds are banned?

No. Austria doesn’t have a federal list of breeds that are automatically illegal to buy under the Qualzucht rules.

The Social Ministry’s guidance says the question normally has to be assessed on an individual basis, not simply by looking at its breed.

Vienna’s animal welfare ombudsman’s office does, however, name pugs, French bulldogs, and English bulldogs as examples of breeds in which characteristics deliberately bred into the dogs can become so extreme that they frequently cause suffering or chronic health problems.

The same principle applies to other breeds. Mixed-breed and so-called designer dogs aren’t automatically safe from Qualzucht problems either. The Social Ministry mentions Labradoodles and Maltipoos as examples of dogs that could also inherit harmful characteristics.

What counts as a harmful breeding trait?

Some of the warning signs are fairly easy to understand.

Austria’s Animal Protection Act covers problems such as severe breathing difficulties, abnormal movement or lameness, recurring skin inflammation, eye problems, blindness, protruding eyes, deafness and neurological problems.

It also mentions deformities of the teeth or jaw that interfere with normal function, as well as malformations of the skullcap, under the Act’s rules on harmful breeding.

Vienna’s animal welfare office gives some other examples: an extremely short muzzle, excessive skin folds, protruding eyes or problems with the animal’s legs and movement.

Some characteristics people sometimes think of as simply being “typical of the breed” could, when they become extreme enough, cause serious health problems. But this happens on an individual basis, with no blanket breed bans.

Austria’s scientific Qualzucht commission is developing more detailed guidance on how visible characteristics should be assessed, including how the animal’s age should be taken into account. The commission says its formal assessment system for individual animals will also depend on future regulations specifying breeds or risk characteristics.

If you’re considering buying a puppy with very short facial features or other obvious extremes, a vet can help you identify possible health problems before you commit to the purchase. Still, a vet’s “okay” doesn’t guarantee legal compliance.

Vienna has also launched the Haustiercheck portal, which is designed to help prospective owners recognise problematic breeding characteristics before choosing an animal.

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What if you already own a dog with these characteristics?

Simply owning a dog with a harmful breeding characteristic isn’t an offence under Section 8.

The law concerns the importing, acquiring, brokering, and transferring of affected animals. It doesn’t say that somebody must give up a dog they already legally own because it has one of these characteristics.

There is also protection for some older cases. Section 44 of the Animal Protection Act states that animals whose breeding or import complied with the Austrian rules that applied before the 2024 amendment entered into force may still be acquired or transferred within Austria.

So an existing pug, French bulldog or other affected dog doesn’t become illegal to own because the rules have changed.

Are rescue and rehoming cases treated differently?

Yes, in some circumstances.

Section 8 has exceptions covering animals that have come into official care, including those that are abandoned, lost, seized, or confiscated.

There is also a limited exception, with checks such as the dog must have been registered in Austria’s national pet database for at least 16 weeks, when an existing owner genuinely has to rehome their animal. That allows some genuine private rehoming without creating an easy route around the rules for people commercially selling affected puppies.

Animals transferred through inheritance are also covered by a specific exception.

What if you’re moving to Austria with a dog you already own abroad?

Here the law becomes less clear in practice.

Section 8 bans the import of affected animals. The wording doesn’t include a general exemption stating that the rule no longer applies if you owned the dog before moving to Austria. But, generally, long-term ownership is not against the rules either.

There is Austrian case law involving an animal bought abroad and then brought into Austria, but that isn’t the same situation as a family moving country with a long-owned pet.

If your dog is a pug, French bulldog, English bulldog or another dog with very obvious characteristics that might fall under the Qualzucht rules, the safest approach is to ask the competent authority before moving.

Normal entry rules still apply separately.

Austria’s official moving checklist for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens covers requirements such as identification and vaccination when bringing pets to Austria.

People arriving with pets from outside the EU should instead check the current guidance from the Federal Office for Consumer Health, as the rules depend on the animal’s country of origin and the required documentation.

In Vienna, animal welfare matters are handled by MA 60, the city’s veterinary and animal welfare department. Elsewhere in Austria, the relevant authority will usually be the local district administration.

READ ALSO:EXPLAINED: How to move to Austria with your pets

Key vocabulary

Qualzucht – breeding that causes suffering or serious health problems

Qualzuchtmerkmal – harmful breeding characteristic

Qualzuchtsymptom – symptom resulting from harmful breeding

Sachkundenachweis – proof of competence required for new dog owners

Bezirksverwaltungsbehörde – district administrative authority