PRESS RELEASE : The Dutch Society for Protection of Animals under fire for giving 'euthanasia instructions' of Scottish Folds cats (read why)

 

'euthanasia instructions' of Scottish Folds

AMSTERDAM, February 12, 2026 – Animal welfare organization House of Animals says it is shocked by an internal work instruction from the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals stating that shelters are no longer allowed to accept Scottish Fold cats and that stray animals of this breed will be euthanized after a 14-day "retention period," regardless of their condition.  Karen Soeters of House of Animals finds it unacceptable that the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals is so ruthlessly closing the door on all these cats. "Refusing to take these animals encourages people to find other ways to dispose of them. There's a transitional arrangement for these animals for a reason, and they shouldn't be treated differently than any other animal. Not every Scottish Fold experiences the same level of pain. It's up to a veterinarian to assess each individual animal's level of unbearable suffering." Ban on keeping Since January 1, 2026, a ban on keeping Scottish Folds, cats with the characteristic folded ears, has been in effect. These folded ears are the result of a hereditary cartilage defect that can lead to painful osteoarthritis and joint problems. A breeding ban for the breed has been in place since 2014. The internal instructions, which, according to House of Animals, were drafted by a veterinarian from the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals, state, among other things, that every Scottish Fold that arrives at a Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals shelter "will be euthanized after the statutory retention period of 14 days, regardless of condition or approachability." Illegal killing Former veterinarian Paul Bours, who worked in companion animal practice for twelve years and served as a senior policy officer for animal welfare at the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality for over twenty years, also expressed reservations about the instruction. "The routine killing of animals after a retention period of 14 days due to a hereditary condition, regardless of their condition or approachability, is prohibited by law if the preconditions set out in Article 1.10 of the Decree on Animal Keepers are not met. Euthanasia may only take place in cases of unbearable suffering. If this requirement is not met, the killing is illegal and ethically reprehensible." Unrest among asylum workers According to House of Animals, several shelter staff members of the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals were shocked by the instructions and have expressed their concerns. Veterinarians have also reportedly indicated they do not want to cooperate with such a policy. According to Soeters, the work instructions do not differentiate between individual animals. "It states that these cats suffer constant pain due to serious abnormalities. That doesn't necessarily apply to every Scottish Fold, and certainly not to the same degree. Only unbearable suffering should be grounds for euthanasia, not the fact that an animal belongs to a particular breed." Call for Adaptation House of Animals says it has sought dialogue with the Animal Protection Association and expects that the work instructions will be fundamentally amended immediately. Karen Soeters: "A message must be sent immediately to the thirty animal protection shelters to prevent irreversible decisions from being made based on the previous work instructions. As far as I understand, that hasn't happened yet. It's incomprehensible anyway that a separate protocol is being drawn up for Scottish Folds."   -END PRESS RELEASE-

Scottishfold | © House of Animals

Scottishfold | © House of Animals