At a meeting with Silvia Breher today, the German Animal Welfare Federation highlighted the seriousness of the current situation facing animal shelters and similar facilities. The Federal Animal Welfare Commissioner visited the Oldenburg animal shelter together with the President of the German Animal Welfare Association, Thomas Schröder. This shelter is representative of many facilities in Germany that urgently need support in order to continue their important work for animals in need.
"It is gratifying that the Federal Animal Welfare Commissioner is visiting the site to learn about the important animal welfare work being done there and the concerns and challenges faced by animal shelters and similar facilities. Many facilities have had their backs against the wall for years due to rising costs and the high number of animals in their care. It is questionable how long they can continue to care for animals in need, and it is scandalous that, despite numerous promises, they have so far been left empty-handed when it comes to financial aid packages from the federal government and improvements to the legal framework for supporting practical animal welfare," says Thomas Schröder, President of the German Animal Welfare Federation.
“Volunteers and employees do great and indispensable work in animal shelters every day. They care for countless animals with great dedication and love, making their lives a little better. I thank them from the bottom of my heart for this. I know that many animal shelters in Germany have been at the limits of their capacity for years. That's why it's important to me to support our practical animal welfare activists on the ground wherever I can,” said Federal Animal Welfare Commissioner Silvia Breher.
While there is a lack of financial resources for new buildings and renovations, the expansion of infirmaries and quarantine stations, and personnel, the “supply” of animals to animal shelters and shelter-like facilities continues unabated, pushing them to their capacity limits. Most of these animals were purchased without careful consideration and are being given up because their owners are overwhelmed or cannot afford to keep them, or they have been confiscated by the authorities. The support for animal shelters in terms of investment promised in the coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD is still not in sight: the funds have not yet been included in the next federal budget. Although local authorities are financially responsible for the care of found and seized animals, the German Animal Welfare Federation believes that the federal government must take action in view of the national goal of animal welfare and the worsening situation.
In addition to the urgently needed funds, the federal government could ensure that fewer animals end up in animal shelters and similar facilities: for example, by banning online trade in animals, introducing a nationwide neutering requirement for cats with outdoor access, requiring proof of expertise before purchasing an animal, and introducing mandatory identification and registration for dogs and cats. A positive list clarifying which animals may be kept in private ownership would also strengthen animal welfare.
