Bonn. A new evaluation of the German Animal Welfare Association shows that the illegal trade in pets, especially with dog puppies, is at a consistently high level. A ban on online trading with animals would be urgently offered; At least there would be comprehensive legal regulation. The recently published coalition agreement between the CDU, CSU and SPD remains vague during animal trade and does not suggest any improvements, the German Animal Welfare Association criticizes.
The German Animal Welfare Association has documented 224 cases of illegal pet trading for the past year. At least 991 animals were affected, including 515 dogs and 66 cats. Mostly racial animals, such as dwarf tip, Maltese, French bulldog, British short hair or Scottish fold. The animals were mostly too young and showed significant signs of illness, which in almost all cases led to a confiscation by the authorities. Romania was the most common country of origin in a row.
“Germany has been playing a key role in illegal trading in the illegal trade in pets for years, is often a country of destination for the many dog puppies, but also cats and exotic wild animals with which traders do lucrative shops here. The animals are mainly offered online,” explains Dr. Romy Zeller, specialist for pets at the German Animal Welfare Association. The suffering for the individual animals is immense, the conditions under which multipliers breed the animals abroad are catastrophic. German animal shelters, which most sick animals take from confiscations, are faced with avoidable loads due to the time and cost-intensive care that they are burdened.
In their coalition agreement, the Union and SPD promise to ban anonymous online trading with house and pets. “If sellers only have to specify a name and address, this project is worthless, since most platforms already request this. What it needs is a safe proof of identity in order to be able to take back sellers. In addition, dogs and cats offered should have to be identified and registered with microchip,” demands Zeller. The new coalition also wants to ban trade in public space, but explicitly takes out animal exchanges and markets, although animals are often illegally offered for sale at the edge of such events. It also remains unclear whether a prohibition includes exotic wild animals such as reptiles, which are often kept as pets. “In order to really protect all animals, the Union and the SPD must specify their projects and, with animals – regardless of whether commercially or privately – prohibit or at least comprehensively regulate the online trade with animals – whether commercial or privately -“, says Zeller. For animal exchanges and markets, the German Animal Welfare Association calls for stricter, legally binding regulations.