Impacts of pet–wildlife interactions: Bridging the gap between EU animal welfare and nature conservation laws

Public awareness of animal conservation has evolved over time. The social approach to animal conservation is becoming increasingly polarized, with conflicting perceptions of conservation among conservationists, the public, and policymakers. While there is some overlap between the goals of animal welfare advocates and wildlife conservationists, priorities remain misaligned, especially were companion and wild animals interact. These differences in priorities and frameworks can create significant challenges when addressing conservation strategies that involve the interaction of pets and wild animals. This article examines the divergent objectives of animal welfare advocates, traditionally focused on domestic species, and those of wildlife conservation. It reviews the main impacts resulting from interactions between pets and wild animals—whether due to feralization, free-roaming, or pet walking in natural habitats—and proposes strategies to harmonize legislative approaches to these conflicts within the legal and political framework of the European Union (EU). This can be implemented by amending these directives, or through mandatory European regulations. At the same time, the incipient development of animal welfare legislation in the EU allows us to rethink how to address the impact of pets on wildlife, both from the perspective of owners' responsibility to prevent their pets from free-roaming or becoming feral, and in terms of mechanisms to reduce their impact (e.g. euthanasia). While it would be reasonable to focus on the robustness of European nature protection directives and their strict enforcement, EU member states continue to evade this responsibility. Therefore, it is essential to secure a firmer commitment from European authorities to strengthen and enforce legislation that protects wild animals from domestic ones. • Pet welfare and conservation goals remain in conflict among stakeholders. • Feral and free-roaming pets increasingly threaten wildlife conservation. • There is a legislative gap to address the impacts of pets on wildlife. • Harmonized EU legislation is needed to align animal welfare and conservation aims.