It has been prohibited since 1 March to sell live animals in Czech pet stores unless they are species that constitute food for other pets such as reptiles. Live pets can continue to be sold online, however.
The Czech Republic is the first country in Europe to introduce such wide-ranging restrictions. The EU member state is thus also going beyond the customary international classification of pet stores as an essential sector.
Sector representatives and animal welfare bodies have criticised the government's decision and point out that it is not good for pets sold in stores to be kept there longer than is necessary. While the pandemic continues, the sales staff in pet stores are fully occupied implementing the required hygiene precautions to the full in stores. They do not have any time to devote more attention to pets than is otherwise the norm. Both sector representatives and animal welfare organisations fear that the primary victims of the Czech government's ban on selling pets will be the pets themselves.