Context: Starting July 1, Belarus will charge a tax on owning a dog, even if the pet has not been registered. An animal living in an apartment will be identified through veterinary clinics, pet hotels, utility service providers, and neighbor reports. So far, owners have only been reminded to register their cats and dogs. Starting in the summer, the tax will automatically be included on the utility bills. In Minsk alone, about 14,000 dogs are officially registered, though utility service providers estimate that there are about five times as many.
On March 22, 2026, the Glavnyi efir show on the First Information Channel (News.by, owned by Belteleradiocompany) discussed the new rules for collecting the dog tax in Belarus. Alena Khilya, a deputy in the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus, emphasized that the country’s approach to pet ownership is allegedly softer than in Europe.
“Compared to Switzerland, for example, we know that conditions for dog ownership are much tougher there. For instance, pet dogs’ vocal cords must be removed to prevent them from barking,” she stated.
This is far from reality. The Swiss Animal Welfare Act explicitly prohibits the surgical removal of vocal organs in dogs. Such a procedure is considered abusive treatment.
Khilya also drew a comparison to pet taxes in other countries.
“They have been paying pet taxes in Poland for a long time. The tax amounts to at least 120 zlotys.”
Some Western European countries do have a pet tax. However, it is not a nationwide norm in Poland. Municipalities decide to introduce it individually. The state only establishes the maximum amount that can be charged, which is currently 186 zlotys per year (about €43 at the exchange rate as of March 31, 2026). In practice, however, local authorities often set notably lower rates. For example, the tax in Krakow is 36 zlotys per year, which is less than $10.
For comparison, the annual dog ownership fee is 44.4 Belarusian rubles in Minsk and 56 rubles in other regions of Belarus. For potentially dangerous breeds, it is 268 rubles per year. Thus, in some cases, Belarusian rates are higher than Polish ones.
Warsaw and other major Polish cities have abolished the dog tax entirely. Furthermore, Polish MPs are considering eliminating the levy altogether because the cost of administering it is not offset by the revenue it generates.
The situation is similar in Lithuania. They also abolished the tax on dogs and cats several years ago, including in many large cities. The reason was the same: few people paid the tax, and collecting and controlling it was more expensive than the revenue it generated. Instead, the authorities have relied on registering animals through microchips.
Russia does not have a pet tax, nor are there any plans to introduce one. A deputy explained that many Russians perceive pets as family members, and family members are not subject to taxation.
