The German Animal Welfare Federation has criticized the fact that the German government's coalition agreement has turned out to be a collection of empty promises over the past two years. The coalition agreement, which contains more announcements in this area than ever before with numerous animal welfare promises, was published on November 24, 2021. However, apart from the appointment of a Federal Animal Welfare Commissioner, nothing has happened two years later.
"The coalition agreement was associated with a lot of hope for progress in animal welfare. After two years, however, we are bitterly disappointed. The political pledges to improve the numerous shortcomings remain largely unfulfilled. Unfortunately, in the first half of the legislative period, the Federal Government focused exclusively on the animal welfare label, which was then designed to be an obstacle to greater animal welfare. Important animal welfare issues were ignored," commented Thomas Schröder, President of the German Animal Welfare Federation. The government must use the remaining time to show what its promises are worth: "Concrete measures are needed soon if the animal welfare balance sheet from four years of a traffic light coalition with a Green animal welfare minister is not to be inadequate," said Schröder.
Millions of animals continue to suffer under unsustainable conditions in industrial animal husbandry, in research, through illegal trade and in pet breeding. Central to many improvements in animal welfare is the promised revision of the German Animal Welfare Act, which is, however, being delayed - in particular due to the FDP's blockade policy. While animal shelters in the country are groaning under the imbalance of a growing workload and inadequate funding, the consumer foundation promised to them has still not been launched. The same applies to the announced identity check for the online pet trade and the compulsory identification and registration of dogs. A corresponding obligation to identify and register cats as well as a nationwide castration obligation for outdoor cats would also be urgently needed to relieve the burden on animal shelters - as would a theoretical certificate of competence for all pet owners before acquiring an animal.
A long-term and viable financing concept that also gives farmers planning security is lacking for the announced conversion to more animal-friendly animal husbandry in agriculture. The animal welfare labeling adopted by the traffic light coalition so far only covers pigs during the fattening period without - as actually promised - transport and slaughter. The gaps in animal welfare legislation - for turkeys, geese, ducks, pullets, broiler chickens, parent animals, sheep, goats and cattle - must also be closed and the overall standards significantly raised, demands the Animal Welfare Federation. Nothing has changed in this respect in the last two years either.
Note to editors: With the current campaign "More animal welfare now!", the German Animal Welfare Federation is reminding the current federal government of the promises it made in the coalition agreement. On the campaign website www.jetzt-mehr-tierschutz.de, the federation also shows what has happened in the last two years: www.jetzt-mehr-tierschutz.de/halbzeitbilanz
