On July 8, the Federal Cabinet approved the draft federal budget. Contrary to what was announced in the coalition agreement, the budget does not include any investment aid for animal shelters for 2027 either. Thomas Schröder, President of the German Animal Welfare Association, commented:
“Once again, the federal government is breaking its promise and letting animal shelters down. The draft budget for 2027 shows: It was absolutely the right decision to sue the federal government!
In the coalition agreement, the coalition of the CDU, CSU, and SPD committed to supporting animal shelters with investments. Similar commitments were already made in past coalition agreements. Given the increasingly dire situation, it is outrageous that, once again, no aid is being provided. Animal shelters and similar facilities are on the verge of collapse in many places—even though they are the ones that bring the constitutional goal of animal welfare to life throughout Germany. It is a damning indictment of this federal government that it is shirking this responsibility and denying support to animal shelters in Germany.
Now it is up to the courts to decide. Our lawsuit must finally clarify whether the federal government will fulfill its responsibility—which stems from the constitutional objective of animal welfare—in the future.”
Note to editors:
The national objective of animal welfare set forth in Article 20a of the Basic Law makes it clear that the federal government also has jurisdiction over the practical animal welfare work carried out by animal shelters and similar facilities. To clarify this jurisdiction, the German Animal Welfare Federation, together with several member associations, filed a lawsuit against the federal government in May. More information here: German Animal Welfare Federation Sues the Federal Republic of Germany
