Problem dogs increase the costs enormously and ensure overcrowded facilities
- Dog keeping partly completely overwhelmed.
- Years of stays for problem dogs in the shelter.
- Explode costs.
- Appeal to breeders and pet owners: take responsibility for your animals!
Hamburg. More and more dogs with aggressive or conspicuous behavior end up in German animal shelters – and the situation continues to come to a head and are very worried. The result: rising costs, overcrowded capacities and the dogs in the facilities for a long time.
“We are currently experiencing a wave of dogs that are completely overwhelmed in households and in the end they end up with us. These animals often stay in the shelter for years because they are difficult to convey. The supply is complex, expensive and blocks valuable places for other emergencies,” explains Frank Weber, animal shelter manager of the Franziskus animal shelter in Hamburg and VOX moderator at dog cat mouse. “Everyone is talking about the responsibility in breeding and buying dogs, but in the end the problems get stuck on us.”
The causes of this development are diverse. In the past ten years, the number of dogs held in Germany has more than doubled – to around 10.7 million. Dogs have become popular prestige objects. But many owners underestimate which certain requirements breed. Animals that were originally bred for protection, hunting or herd protection require tasks – if this occupancy is missing, they often develop problematic behavior.
A big problem lies in the selection of the dog
Optics or a very high “performance standard” are often in the foreground, not the question of whether your own living conditions fit the genetically related needs of the animal. “A work or herding dog wants to work and be careful- that is not a question of education, but of the predisposition,” emphasizes Weber. “If this instinct is permanently suppressed, not only the dog suffers, but the entire environment.”
Animal shelters are increasingly under pressure
The specialized dogs need intensive training, individual care and often remain in the facilities for years. This causes immense costs that can hardly be lifted. In addition, for most of these dogs, it is difficult to find a new, suitable place.
Incidentally, there are not always the big dogs, even the little ones may be problems. The Havanese “Bodhi” is currently looking for a new home. He looks cute, but has it all – he needs experienced people who set clear limits. It has to be treated like a big one – because even small dogs are not plush toys.
“It urgently needs a rethink with breeders, holders and in society,” says Weber. “We have to breed and convey dogs that can be integrated into a modern, urban society. And we need more information – especially before purchasing.”
The Franziskus Tierheim Hamburg appeals to a future dog owner who deals intensively with the properties and needs of the desired breed before adoption – to avoid frustration, overwhelming and ultimately the delivery to the shelter.
About the Franziskus animal home
The concept of the Franziskus animal shelter is based on the fact that an animal shelter should be a meeting place for animal lovers. When designing the shelter, special attention was therefore paid to make the rooms as brightly, friendly and appealing as possible. Outdoor areas are connected to all cat rooms that allow animals to make themselves comfortable in the sun. An essential part of the concept is the Pfötchen-Café, which is in the immediate vicinity of the cat outer and the land tortoise enclosure. Smaller events around the topic of “animals” take place here, visitors to the shelter can make themselves comfortable, where regular meetings of the volunteers and the employees find. By supporting the many volunteers, each animal can be looked after individually. The dogs housed in the Francis animal shelter go for up to three hours of walking every day.