World Dog Day: How the Animal Welfare Act could better protect dogs

Hamburg. Thursday, October 10th is International World Dog Day. According to a representative survey by the market research institute Skopos, around 10.5 million dogs lived in German households last year. Since dogs repeatedly escape, are stolen or are illegally traded as puppies, FOUR PAWS uses Dog Day as an opportunity to point out the urgent need for a nationwide obligation to identify and register dogs and cats.

“Reliable identification and registration is essential for the protection of dogs and cats, but due to the lack of implementation, Germany still remains at the bottom of the list in the EU alongside Estonia and Poland,” says Karina Omelyanovskaya, campaigner at FOUR PAWS. Identification and registration have many advantages: lost dogs could be quickly reunited with their people, animal shelters would be relieved and animal health would be improved – anyone who takes the animal to the veterinary practice to be identified also ensures its basic medical care. “The federal government must follow through on its promises when amending the Animal Protection Act and introduce the announced labeling and registration requirement for all dogs and cats,” demands Karina Omelyanovskaya.

Regulation of online trading
with animals through identification and registration

In order to stop the illegal puppy trade, online animal trading must become safe. In addition to a labeling and registration requirement, FOUR PAWS also requires sellers to be verified on online platforms. Every dog ​​and, in the long term, every cat should be given a transponder by veterinarians and registered in a database. The transponder number would include all people who have played and continue to play a role in the animal's life: such as the breeder(s), buyers, veterinarians or new owners. To make online pet trading safe, sellers would have to go through an identity check before they can create an ad. In this way, the anonymity of online trading would be abolished and the illegal puppy business would become less lucrative. If there are any abnormalities, law enforcement authorities could identify those responsible within a very short time.

Background of the illegal puppy trade
The illegal puppy trade is a cruel business: In so-called breeding stations, the mother animals are abused as birthing machines in dark sheds without medical care, hygiene or suitable food. The puppies are usually separated from their mothers far too young and are often transported sick across Europe. Criminal traders offer the animals on unregulated online platforms under false identities and without valid documents. The constant demand for puppies and the anonymity of online trading make the production and illegal trade of puppies a lucrative business. In the first half of 2024, FOUR PAWS has already registered more than 500 animals that were confiscated in Germany from the illegal puppy trade in dogs and cats.