On World Animal Protection Day on October 4, the German Animal Welfare Federation is calling for the German government's weak draft for the new Animal Welfare Act to be comprehensively amended. The parliamentary process to amend the law began last week with the first reading in the German Bundestag. However, the draft presented by the responsible minister Cem Özdemir does not do justice to the state goal of animal protection, criticizes the Animal Welfare Federation. This year's World Animal Day is therefore being celebrated under the motto “Protect animals, don't betray them. New animal protection law - now”.
“For over 20 years, the German constitution has stated that 'the state protects animals'. This state goal of animal protection must now be fulfilled and animals must be fully protected from pain, suffering and harm by the Animal Protection Act,” says Thomas Schröder, President of the German Animal Welfare Federation. It is unspeakable that economic interests are still given more importance than the welfare of animals. “Cutbacks and compromises in animal welfare mean pain and suffering for sentient beings. Our hopes now lie all the more with the parties in parliament. They must now come together to produce a good draft that is worthy of the name Animal Welfare Act.”
Although the Federal Ministry of Agriculture has addressed some important points in the draft bill in its current form, the German Animal Welfare Federation believes that it is not consistent enough. For example, the tethering of cattle is not fundamentally prohibited, while amputations such as shortening the curly tails of pigs or the tails of hunting dogs remain permissible. In addition, instead of making necessary improvements in the area of animal testing, even worse changes were introduced, for example with regard to the killing of surplus laboratory animals. There is also a lack of improvements in the area of cat protection, such as an urgently needed nationwide castration requirement for outdoor cats. Little remains of the comprehensive agreements made in the coalition agreement on animal welfare in the government draft. “The amendment to the Animal Welfare Act is a historic opportunity to advance animal welfare in the country. Germany should be a pioneer in animal welfare instead of letting animal user associations dictate standstill or even regression in animal welfare. Now is the time!” said Schröder.
ABOUT WORLD ANIMAL WELFARE DAY
World Animal Day goes back to Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, who was canonized on 4 October 1228. Every year, animal rights activists use the day to draw attention to the suffering of animals caused by humans. Every year, the German Animal Welfare Federation gives the day of action a current theme.
