Keeping many animals

You may keep pets and hobby animals, but your neighbors should not be bothered by them. So you must try to avoid nuisance from noise and odor. Also, the environment must not deteriorate. This means, for example, that you do everything possible to prevent pollution of soil and water.

Do you have many farm animals? Then you should also make sure that the animal enclosures are far enough away from buildings where people are. Such as houses, schools, childcare centers, hospitals, nursing homes and so on. You can find the minimum distances in the environmental plan. These minimum distances are mandatory as of:

• 10 sheep
• 5 horses and ponies
• 10 goats
• 25 poultry
• 25 rabbits
• 10 other farm animals

Only mammals from the domestic and hobby animal list

Mammals must be on the domestic and hobby animal list. Is a mammal not on this list? Then you are not allowed to buy, keep or sell the animal. You are also not allowed to breed with it. Do you have a mammal that is not on the list, but you already had the animal before July 1, 2024? You may keep the animal until it dies. And you may resell or pass on the animal. You may no longer breed with the animal.

There is an exception for deer camps. Fallow deer and red deer are not on the domestic and hobby animal list. But you may keep them and breed with them.

Zoos

Do you keep several wild or rare animals on your property? If so, you may need a zoo permit. You can apply for this at the Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland.