Ein abgemagerter Hund sitzt angekettet vor einer Hundehütte als Symbol für Tierquälerei

When animals in the neighborhood or abroad sufferHow to report cruelty to animals

If you observe that animals are being badly kept or tortured, keep calm. We explain what steps you should take and who you can contact to report animal cruelty.

Checklist: Report cruelty to animals

  • Secure evidence.
    Keep calm. Document the incidents of animal cruelty precisely and make a note of the time and place. Take photos whenever possible. Make a note of car numbers and addresses. Ask witnesses for a sworn affidavit.
  • Contact the veterinary office.
    The local veterinary office is responsible if the Animal Welfare Act is not being complied with. If it receives evidence of animal cruelty or mistreatment, it must check how the animals are being kept. If the suspicion is confirmed, the animal welfare authority issues the necessary orders to ensure that the owners keep the animals in compliance with animal welfare regulations. If the official veterinarian finds that an animal has been seriously neglected, the animal will be temporarily confiscated so that the owners can improve the conditions in the meantime, for example by converting the barn. The veterinary office needs first-hand information. The authorities can act more quickly in the interests of the animals if eyewitnesses contact them themselves instead of reporting anonymously or contacting an animal welfare association or the German Animal Welfare Federation.
  • In acute distress: Contact the police directly.
    In acute distress situations or a clear case of animal cruelty, you can file a criminal complaint directly with the police or the public prosecutor's office. This does not involve any costs for you and helps to hold animal abusers accountable for their behavior.

Cruelty to animals on the internet and on social media

Photos or videos of animal cruelty are posted and shared on the internet and especially on social media time and time again. Unfortunately, in most cases it is not clear who is in them and when they were taken. Legally, the authorities can only take action against animal abusers if they know the place, time, name and place of residence. It is even more difficult if the videos originate from abroad. It is not helpful and can even be harmful or dangerous to pass on information about animal cruelty personally or anonymously on the internet. If you like, dislike, share or comment on them, this increases the attention. We therefore advise you not to interact with these videos, but to report them directly to Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and co. so that they can remove them quickly.

Cruelty to animals abroad

If you observe that an animal is being badly treated or kept abroad, we recommend that you first contact the people responsible yourself. If you do not want to do this, if it seems dangerous or does not help, document the cruelty to animals with photos if possible. Contact the local police or a local animal welfare organization. This is far more effective than trying to change things later from Germany. In retrospect, it is usually impossible to help the animals effectively. It is also important abroad that you can provide evidence: You must name the exact location, the date, details of the animal cruelty, the people responsible and any witnesses.

If you no longer wish to spend your vacation in this country due to the abuses, then be sure to let your travel company know. Tourism is the only source of income for these companies and you can therefore exert influence here. The more complaints they receive, the less they can turn a blind eye to the issue of animal welfare.

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