Can I let my dog off the leash in a public place in Malta?
No — in public a dog must be on a leash, not roaming free. The Keeping of Dogs Regulations (S.L. 439.21), under the Animal Welfare Act (Cap 439), make it unlawful to let a dog roam freely on public roads: it must be restrained by an adequate collar and leash held by the person walking it. Permanent chaining is also prohibited. Separately, under S.L. 437.101, microchipping is compulsory for every dog aged 4 months and over, together with a licence and a tag bearing the owner's phone number when the dog is out. The myth: that you can let the dog off wherever you like as long as it is calm — it is not; off-leash is allowed only in designated dog parks. Serious offences under Cap 439 carry large fines, while the famous €11.65 figure for a dangerous dog not kept under control is still in force under the Dogs Act (Cap 312).
📋 The rules
- In public a dog must be on a leash with an adequate collar, held by the person walking it (S.L. 439.21).
- Permanent chaining is prohibited under the same regulations.
- Microchipping is compulsory for a dog aged 4 months and over, with a licence and a tag showing the phone number (S.L. 437.101).
- Off-leash is allowed only in designated dog parks, not on roads or in shared gardens.
- From 13 December 2024 there is a ban on breeding and selling non-pedigree bully dogs, with existing dogs microchipped before that date protected.
🔓 Exceptions
- In designated dog parks a dog may be kept off the leash under the owner's control.
- Working and guard dogs may fall under different conditions, but are still subject to microchipping and control.
- The bully-breed ban does not apply to dogs already registered and microchipped before 13 December 2024.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The consequences vary with which law you break. Failing to microchip or giving false registration data brings a fine of €300, and an unreadable microchip brings €500 (S.L. 437.101). The more serious animal-welfare offences under Cap 439 bring a fine of €2,000 to €65,000 for a first conviction, and €6,000 to €80,000 for a repeat offence, or even imprisonment. For a dangerous dog not kept under control, the Dogs Act (Cap 312) keeps a historic fine of just €11.65, but the court "shall order the Police to destroy the dog" — a far graver consequence than the money. A roaming dog can be seized and, if unclaimed or the cost is unpaid, disposed of. The bully-breed ban adds an administrative fine of up to €1,000 per dog. On dog fouling there is no dedicated national fine, but it falls under the litter law with a fine of at least €150.
📎 Official sources
- Legislation Malta · Keeping of Dogs Regulations (S.L. 439.21) →
- Legislation Malta · Electronic Identification of Dogs Regulations (S.L. 437.101) →
- Commissioner for Animal Welfare · dog rules and bully breeds →
❓ Frequently asked
Must a dog always be on a leash in the street?
Yes, on roads and public places a dog must be restrained by an adequate collar and leash held by the person walking it, under S.L. 439.21. The only place it can be kept off the leash is a designated dog park, where it must still remain under the owner's control.
Is microchipping compulsory?
Yes. Under S.L. 437.101 every dog aged four months or over must be microchipped and licensed, and when out it must wear a tag with the owner's phone number. Failing to microchip brings a fine of €300, and an unreadable microchip brings €500.
How much is the fine for a dangerous dog that escapes?
Under the Dogs Act (Cap 312) the fine is only €11.65, a historic figure that is still in force because the law was not amended since 2007. But it is deceptive: the court can order the Police to destroy the dog, and serious mistreatment offences fall under Cap 439 with far higher fines.
How much is the fine for dog fouling?
There is no dedicated national fine just for dog fouling, so old figures like €23.29 are out of date. In practice it falls under the general litter law, with a fine of at least €150, as well as council bye-laws that vary from one locality to another.
Can I keep a bully-breed dog in Malta?
From 13 December 2024 there is a ban on breeding, selling and advertising non-pedigree bully dogs. An owner who already had such a dog microchipped and registered before that date can keep it, but a breach brings an administrative fine of up to €1,000 per dog.
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